A Matter of Personal Space
by halfcurehalfdisease
Summary: Lon'qu fears women. Lissa dislikes complication. When Lon'qu is forced to be her guard after an assassination attempt, these two will have a myriad of troubles to sort out. Rated T for language and themes. Lon'qu/Lissa.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello! This is my first time writing for Fire Emblem. Please be patient as I figure out characters! This one goes out to one of my favorite support pairings: Lissa and Lon'qu. This fic (a 3 or 4-parter) starts off not long after Lon'qu joins the party at Khan Basilio's request in Regna Ferox.**

* * *

If it hadn't been for the number of people surrounding her and talking at her in frightened voices, Lissa would not have believed that someone had made an attempt on her life while she was sleeping. Still groggy and barely having the decency to clutch her sheets about herself, she just nodded at whatever it was that Chrom was asking and Frederick was ordering, as well as making weak smiles when Robin attempted to comfort her. Lissa wasn't even that alarmed by anything; she hadn't been awake for it, right? Plus, she had plenty of friends in camp that would chase him down; the would-be assassin would be ousted easily.

However, no one else was thinking in the same vein. Robin smoothed the younger girl's messy hair. "It'll be alright. We've got people searching for the bastard," she said, her eyes narrowed in the wan lamp light.

Lissa rubbed at her eyes. "I slept right through it, if that makes you feel any better."

Frederick harrumphed loudly, his lance gripped tightly in one hand. "No, it does not, milady." Chrom and Robin both shot him warning glances, but he continued, "It means that you are obviously prone to more attempts, especially if this assassin manages to get the word out that you will sleep through any such events."

Groaning, Lissa flopped back on her bedroll and sighed heftily. Frederick, the killjoy. "Oh come on, it was just a long day," she groaned, resisting the urge to pout at the stupid knight. "That's all. You're all so fussy."

"Frederick's right. I'd rather a long day not be the death of you," Chrom added heavily. "There's been enough loss."

 _Our parents,_ Lissa automatically thought. She rolled over onto her side, facing away from Frederick, Robin, and her brother to hide the dull grief that slipped over her features. _Right. I don't know if Chrom could handle it if I...became like my parents,_ she thought, biting at the inside of her cheek.

The sound of the fabric covering the entrance of the tent getting pushed aside brought Lissa back into a sitting position. Sumia had entered-if nearly face-planting into the tent counted as an entrance-and bowed quickly to Chrom and Frederick with warm, reddish cheeks. "H-hello! All of the scouts are back!"

"Any sign of the assassin?" Robin asked, her shoulders visibly tense.

Sumia shook her head. "No. Not at all. Stahl and Sully are still out looking, though." She heaved a sigh before beaming at Lissa. The expression almost seemed forced; Lissa wished she would drop the act. "It's a good thing that Lon'qu saw that man when he did, though!"

 _Lon'qu?_ Lissa perked up; no one had said that Lon'qu had been the one to drive the assassin away. "Where is he?" she asked. "I want to thank him. Otherwise I'd probably be shish kebob or something right now, right?"

Robin sighed. She looked disheveled, having barely donned her tactician's jacket and sword belt after running out of her tent; her hair hung in a pale, messy curtain. "That's just it. He knew you would, and he left for the nearest tavern the minute he realized it." Lissa's face fell at the mention. Gods damn it. She'd wanted an excuse to talk to Lon'qu for a while now; that window was already lost.

"Classic Lon'qu," Sumia said with a nervous laugh. With a rather flighty shake of her head, she gestured toward the exit. "So...Captain Chrom, do you need anything else, or shall I return to searching?"

He shook his head and dismissed her to further searching. On her way out, she gave Lissa a sympathetic smile, which she returned a bit forcedly. Yes, she was normally the sunshine of this regiment, but currently she felt gloomy. _He won't even let me thank him. Figures. Stupid Lon'qu,_ she thought with a pout. Chrom cleared his throat, dragging her attention back to her brother once more. "Lissa, until we can get rid of this threat against your life, I think we'll need to assign you a guard. I doubt that Sumia, Stahl, or anyone else will find that assassin in the woods, so plan on this being 'a thing', so to speak."

"A guard?" Lissa groaned and pointedly rolled her eyes at her brother. "As in someone who has to be with me every hour of every day and report back to you? Ew."

"What you're saying 'ew' to will very well save your life in a pinch. Besides, Emmeryn also has guards, and she doesn't complain about it," Frederick said sternly. "We just need to figure out who is fit for the job."

* * *

Chrom's decision proved to the bane of Lissa's otherwise charmed existence. As it so turned out, none of the shepherds were even halfway decent at being guards. Over a few weeks, she had a different person with her every day. Some experiences were awful; she had never been as bored as when she had been stuck in tactics meetings with Robin or as flustered as when Virion had tailed her and consistently gabbed during their day together. Others had been at least somewhat entertaining; Vaike had showed her how to sharpen and throw a hand axe, much to everyone else's chagrin, and Lissa had helped Miriel with a series of experiments that had allowed her to play with fire.

While Lissa had been annoyed with most people tailing her, absolutely no one satisfied Chrom. Every person had some flaw that made them "the wrong fit" to guard his sister. Once again, Lissa sat in his tent, bright and spry with the morning, as he went over a list, rattling off every problem he observed with his shepherds' guarding. "All Stahl did was drag you into town to spend gold on food, and Sully accidentally hit you in the head with a lance. Sumia...I appreciate her very much, but she has no coordination and I fear that would endanger both of your lives. And Donnel, oh, don't get me started on Donnel," Chrom muttered. Lissa fidgeted, peering out the open entrance of the tent. She spotted Lon'qu walking past, talking to Vaike about...well...something. Knowing them, it had to be weapons.

It occurred to her that Lon'qu had not guarded her once. Everyone-even Chrom, Frederick, and Robin-had guarded her. Chrom was rattling something off about Maribelle, even after her recent promotion to Valkyrie class, not being suitable for a protective role. Lissa cleared her throat, bouncing on her heels. "Hey, Chrom, why haven't you had Lon'qu guard me yet?"

He paused mid-litany, frowning. "Pardon?"

"Lon'qu. You know? Tall, kinda sullen guy we picked up from Regna Ferox. Didn't you all say he chased off that assassin in the first place? Doesn't that make him perfect for the job?" Lissa asked. She planted her hands on Chrom's desk and gazed at him with a fire in her hazel eyes. "Why have you been avoiding putting him in place to look after me?"

Chrom laughed, the sound more like an incredulous bark than his usual gentle chuckle. He clapped a hand over his mouth to quiet it and then heaved a sigh. "Lissa," he started, peeling his hand away from his face, "I hate to break it to you, but Lon'qu is likely more terrified of you than you are of assassins."

"I'm not even scared of assassins!" Lissa declared. "I'm the third in line for a throne that I'll never have. I'm not dignified like Emmeryn or brave like you. It is really funny to me that anyone wants to knock me off at all, Chrom, because in this royal family I'm kind of just an afterthought or something, I don't know. I don't even have the mark of the exalt." Chrom gazed at her blankly; Lissa realized that she had strayed far from her point. She sighed, and continued, "What I mean by that is...it probably doesn't even matter if my guard is scared of me. To you no one's going to be perfect anyway, and it's not like I'm you or Emmeryn."

Chrom's blank stare did not waiver. "Lissa, that was really melodramatic, and I didn't follow one bit of it."

"I don't care. Either assign me a good guard or just drop all of this," she responded, tugging at her own pigtails in frustration. "I'm getting really tired of having people stand outside while I'm bathing. Or getting stuck in strategy meetings. At least Lon'qu would respect my space, right?"

Chrom sighed. "Okay, fine. I'll talk to Lon'qu. Quit being so pushy, and don't go running off, either. I'll be back soon."

"I wasn't even being pushy!" Lissa retorted as Chrom maneuvered around her to walk to the sparring fields. "You're just being a nub!" She huffed an annoyed sigh and gazed at the canopy of the tent. _Does he not realize that he's leaving me alone and that's the last thing he wants right now? Oh well. That's my brother for you. Typical Chrom._

* * *

Vaike's axe clanged heavily on Lon'qu's Killing Edge. Lon'qu had always found Vaike graceless but determined as a sparring partner, which could be enough of a challenge to take on if he wasn't feeling on top of his game. Lon'qu deflected the blow and swiped at Vaike. "Nothing fazes ya, does it, Lon'qu?" Vaike roared with a huge grin. He made a sloppy swing at Lon'qu, which the myrmidon easily sidestepped. Vaike's movements had driven him all over this circle of grass and dirt that had been designated for dueling, interrupting a session between Sully and Frederick and inciting a shout of surprise from Kellam.

Lon'qu was about to make an attempt at disarming Vaike when Chrom's voice interrupted him. "Do I ever find you anywhere but here, Lon'qu?"

Sheathing his sword, Lon'qu turned to Chrom. Vaike huffed a good natured sigh and plopped down to scrub at a stain on the blade of his axe. With the sound of Vaike's efforts in his ear, Lon'qu gave Chrom a nod of acknowledgment. "Chrom."

Chrom glanced at Vaike before focusing his attentions on Lon'qu. "Look, I have a favor to ask of you."

"It isn't a favor when I've been told to do whatever you say," Lon'qu pointed out. His hands and body itched to return to sparring.

Chrom raised an eyebrow, a slight sparkle glimmering in his steady blue eyes. "That is true. I could have you making us omelets every night, and I have to thank Khan Basilio for that." His jovial expression fading to seriousness, he walked out of the circle. Lon'qu followed him, equally bemused by the idea of omelets and curious as to the "favor" that Chrom wanted from him.

At the edge of the circle, Chrom drew close to Lon'qu. "I honestly cannot thank you enough for saving my sister," he said, rubbing at his bare arm with a sigh. "If she had been killed, the shepherds would be in shambles. She's so very important to us. To me," he added.

Lon'qu raised an eyebrow, the tiniest of movements on an otherwise still body. "You're welcome, I suppose," he responded. He had a sinking feeling that Chrom was about to ask him to do something that he was uncomfortable with, but he tried to push that feeling aside. Maybe Chrom was going to go tell him to take a day off or something instead for his good deed. That would be nice.

Chrom shuffled awkwardly, his hand slipping to the pommel of Falchion. "Lon'qu, Lissa needs a guard. We've tried...everybody, really. That assassin is still out there, and I'm not satisfied with anyone in this camp."

"Hire someone. Have Emmeryn send a pegasus knight," Lon'qu suggested, feeling himself sweat over the direction this conversation was headed in. That day off was disappearing quickly; many "on" days were about to ensue, he feared.

Shaking his head, Chrom looked at Lon'qu steadily. "I know you're not much for women, but I really would like someone guarding my sister who knows what he's doing."

Lon'qu resisted the urge to groan. He scratched at his neck awkwardly. "Uh, okay."

"Lissa would prefer it also," Chrom added, inducing more excessive sweating from the myrmidon. His gaze level, he gently asked, "Will you please protect my sister? When this mess is all over, you don't have to anymore. You can even take a few days to yourself if you want."

Lon'qu sighed and nodded. He couldn't negate what Khan Basilio had told him to do, and since it was Chrom that he had to listen to, he had to agree. "Please find the bastard quickly," Lon'qu said, hoping there wasn't a note of desperation weaving through his voice.

With a chuckle, Chrom walked away from the ring. Over his shoulder, he called, "When you're done sparring, come to my tent. We have to discuss the details with my sister."

Vaike sprang to his feet, eyeing Lon'qu oddly. "You gettin' married or something? That sounded like some kinda marriage contract or whatnot."

"I don't like women. There is no marriage for me," Lon'qu responded hastily. Aggravated, he drew Killing Edge and lashed out hard at Vaike, who laughed. Lon'qu hardly felt humorous; he was going to be stuck with a woman—Chrom's sister, nonetheless—for long periods of time in the near future. If Vaike was going to suggest such a thing, he could bear to bow under Lon'qu's wrath for a short period of time.

* * *

When Chrom returned, Lissa had tipped back in a chair, arms folded over her chest and her boot-clad feet propped up on Chrom's desk. She tilted her head back to look at him. "Shouldn't Lon'qu be with you?" she asked, squinting at the area behind her brother as if attempting to make the myrmidon appear.

Chrom nodded. "He's sparring. I told him what's going on. He isn't too pleased, but he agreed to guard you."

With a happy shrug of her shoulders, Lissa beamed. "See? Was that so difficult?"

"I still am confused by what you wanted," Chrom responded, sitting at his desk beside Lissa's feet and scrubbing at his brow. "What was that speech, anyway?"

Lissa snorted. "No idea, but it worked, right? I have a guard who…well…is good at what he does! He's the one who spotted my would-be killer!" she declared, raising a fist proudly. "Also, I have the feeling he'll respect personal space, don't you agree, Chrom?"

Before her flabbergasted brother could respond, the entrance to the tent flapped open. Lissa caught the rather masculine reek of sweat and warm skin; obviously Lon'qu had joined the party. She once again titled her head to look at the myrmidon. He didn't even acknowledge her; he stood at the entrance, his shoulder nearly peeking out of the tent. Lissa examined him. He was never close enough for her to get a good look. He was tall, likely taller than most of the men in camp aside from Frederick, and his shoulders spread broadly from years of practicing with the sword. His forearms were lined with scar after scar that gleamed white on suntanned skin. The set of his mouth and brow were grim; in spite of this, his features were handsome and even; she estimated that he was Chrom's age, if not a touch older than the prince. If he didn't hate women so much, Lon'qu would be able to rack up female admirers the way her brother did.

"Lon'qu," Chrom started, sliding off of his desk and assuming a more formal position, "thank you for agreeing to this." Mirroring her brother, Lissa rose to attention and stood at her brother's side. Lon'qu's gaze flicked to her briefly before he looked away again with discomfort written all over his face.

Lissa propped her hands on the desk. "Uh…Lon'qu. I know this isn't easy for you, so thank you so much!" she said, smiling brightly at him. That made him even more uncomfortable, if the nauseated expression on his face was anything to go by. Lissa sighed and looked up to Chrom. "I'm going to let you do the talking here, I think."

Chrom gave her a look that she couldn't quite read before he focused back on Lon'qu. Slowly, he said, "Lon'qu, I'm asking that you are consistently within a certain radius of Lissa. You eat near her, sleep near her, and if you go spar, you're going to take her with you."

"Excuse me, he's going to _sleep_ near me? That seems like a poor thing for an older brother to suggest," Lissa remarked, her cheeks pink.

Chrom, in turn, grew pink. Lissa began to wonder if anyone in the tent wasn't blushing. Scrabbling at sensibility, Chrom retorted, "As in opposite ends of a tent. Not sharing a bed. There is no need to make my request sound so wanton, Lissa! Also, the likelihood of anything happening is low!"

She sat back down in the chair, cupping her face. _Was this a bad idea? I trust Lon'qu to do the job right, but I think he probably will just be miserable the whole time. At least he'll respect my space. If it doesn't work out, I guess I'd just hang out with Robin or Chrom all the time until this is all taken care of,_ she thought, moping.

Lon'qu cleared his throat. "I understand what you mean. It will be done. She will be protected." Lissa looked up at him. He sure wasn't looking at her, but the certainty in his voice alleviated her concerns about the situation.

"Starting immediately, please," Chrom added, rubbing at his temples. "Thank you. It's up to you two to figure out how this will work. I can't tell you how to live."

"I'm sure we'll figure it out just fine," Lissa retorted, plodding over to the entrance with a giant grin plastered to her face. "Come on, Lon'qu. You're stuck with me for a while! We'll figure out a nice little routine and everything!"

She heard him sigh heavily. "A real pleasure," he muttered before following her. She hoped that she could at least get him to trust her before their time together was up.

* * *

 _A/N: Hi! I usually only do Author's Notes at the bottom. So I just wanted to make note of a few things quick down here. Yes, Lissa has weird motives. She guilts her brother into things. She's nothing if not...you know...a teenage girl? Lol. I hope she and Lon'qu are in character, especially, since this fic is focusing really heavily on them!_

 _Fun fact: this is titled "Assassin's Dweeb" in Word. I'm a problematic fave, supporting Ubisoft like this._

 _Also, I hope to finish this ficlet by the end of my winter break! It's mostly just a fun, goofy thing for me to write whilst home from college. If that changes I do apologize._

 _Anyway, I hope everyone had a good Christmas and New Year's. I hope the new year treats you well!_


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi. Mars here. It looks like this fic is not going to be a three parter. It's more like...at least a five parter. Hahaha. Stay tuned. Will update description.**

* * *

It was official; Lon'qu hated everything. He hated life. He hated himself. He hated women. He hated men. He hated Khan Basilio. He hated Chrom. Most of all, he really, _really,_ hated the bouncy blonde that suddenly had dominated his life. Yes, Lon'qu definitely hated Lissa. He was all of twenty-four hours into guarding her and he already felt stifled. Being around her felt utterly _wrong,_ especially because Lon'qu knew that she was harmless-in fact, she was quite beneficial to the morale of the shepherds-but did he ever. Hate. Her. Gender.

She traipsed around their current camp with a bright smile, greeting everyone and checking in on people she had healed during skirmishes with Risen. She and Maribelle had the loudest, shriekiest conversations that Lon'qu had ever heard. _Why is it always women that do that?_ he thought, watching from a distance as the girls gabbed. It made him incredibly unhappy to have to hear any of it, especially being so close to her. However, it was difficult to deny how happy Lissa was, speaking with her friends and allies with a golden smile plastered on her face. Lon'qu couldn't remember the last time he had smiled in earnest.

"Lon'qu!" Her voice interrupted his thoughts. Lon'qu's reverie interrupted, he found Lissa far too close to him for his comfort, Maribelle nowhere in sight. He recoiled from her, gazing down at her with a chilly glare. She sighed, drawing back. "Sorry. I'm getting used to this. Most people...let me climb all over them? Okay, that's not a good way to put it," she mumbled, tugging at her pigtails in annoyance.

"Please don't stand so close to me, woman," he muttered as he folded his arms across his chest. The gods clearly were punishing him for something...but what? What had he done recently that warranted this? His eyes swept the camp. In daylight, when shepherds were bustling about, it didn't seem like an assassin had made an attempt on a royal life.

He remembered the bastard, in his dark hood with a low stance, slipping into her tent. Lon'qu had only gotten up to go bake a potato in the ashes of a campfire that still smoldered, a knife in one hand and the vegetable in the other. Brandishing the poor choice of weapon, he rushed into the tent. The motion wouldn't wake Lissa, but the assassin said a few words that would make Chrom blush bashfully before escaping by sliding under one of the walls. If he hadn't been there with the intent of baking a potato, Lissa would be dead. _But...I also wouldn't be guarding her,_ he thought with a sigh. So much for being a decent human being.

Lissa had drawn away from him already to flit after other shepherds, greeting each person with such enthusiasm. Lon'qu huffed and trotted after her with a sense of resignation. He had a duty to fulfill, didn't he? And that _duty_ sure had a great deal of energy.

* * *

Lissa shoved her bedroll as far over as it would go in her tent. She had shared this tent with Robin for a while, back when she had just been discovered in a field, and Maribelle whenever she came to train with the rest of the shepherds in battle—if she show decided to show herself, that was. As Lissa straightened her sheets, she sighed heavily. Her latest tent-mate was nowhere near as personable as Robin, nor was he a close friend like Maribelle. _I suppose I got Maribelle to warm up to me, though, a long time ago, so who says I can't do the same with Lon'qu?_ Lissa thought. She examined her work. The tent was larger than most, because she was royalty and that was the sort of treatment they received on the road, but she felt that there was maybe eight feet at most between her bedroll and the one Lon'qu would be sleeping in. Last night, he hadn't even set foot in the tent; Lissa knew that he was close by, but he sure hadn't slept. By moving the bedrolls around and draping some wispy fabric, borrowed from Maribelle, across the center of the tent. It gave some semblance of privacy; likewise, it seemed unlikely that Chrom would take issue with it.

"Lon'qu," she called, smoothing her skirt. "Come take a look. It's...uh...more separate!"

The myrmidon tentatively set foot inside the tent. His gripped the lapels of his shirt with a white-knuckled grip, shifting his weight as he examined the tent. Lissa had never taken him for the nervous type. "Is it okay?" she asked softly, as if to not alarm him.

He moved over to his side, his back turned to her. "Yes," he finally responded, trailing his hand across the gossamer fabric as he examined his sleeping area. His hands were large, broad-palmed and callous-fingered. Lissa looked at her own hands, small and scrubbed raw from her work as a cleric and a healer, and wondered how human beings could be so vastly different.

"Hey, Lissa!" The entrance to the tent parted to reveal Robin, her eyes sparkling with a hint of mischief. "Come here a sec." She peered past Lissa at Lon'qu, who seemed even more uncomfortable in the presence of two women. "Hi, Lon'qu. Borrowing her for a minute. Please relax."

"I'll do w-what I wish, woman!" Lon'qu stuttered, turning away from them. Robin and Lissa exchanged glances before the younger woman exited the tent, following the strategist over to her tent.

At her tent, Robin motioned Lissa in before entering and closing the flap behind her. "What's all this about, Robin?" Lissa asked, plopping herself onto Robin's desk unceremoniously.

Robin looked on with disapproval at Lissa's position, but she didn't comment on it. Instead, she folded her arms and sighed. "Lissa, I worry that this isn't going to be that good for either you or Lon'qu. You're both very important to this army. You're our healer-and don't bring up Maribelle. She isn't around enough," Robin warned Lissa when her mouth opened indignantly, "and Lon'qu is our best swordsman, honestly. Chrom's strong, but he's not as smart as Lon'qu is with a sword."

"Hey, I wanted Lon'qu to do this. He...has that intuition, obviously! He knew someone was in danger and took after it!" Lissa declared. Chrom had oftentimes told her to keep her "coarse mannerisms" under control, but to speak quietly like Emmeryn or powerfully like Chrom? She couldn't manage it.

Robin looked steadily at her, in spite of her brassy tone. "He was actually going to go bake a potato."

"Robin, don't ruin this," Lissa retorted, kicking her feet excitedly. "He suddenly desired a potato because he sensed someone needed rescue. That's how these, uh, gallant rescue things work, right?" she added as she looked to Robin for confirmation.

With a drawn-out eyeroll, Robin drew closer to Lissa and planted a hand on her shoulder. "Look. Just behave with him. Don't play tricks. Don't...shove amphibians down their cloaks and whatnot," Robin added with a shudder. "I still haven't quite forgiven you for that."

"It's just part of my charm," Lissa complained. She threw an arm around Robin's neck and pulled her into an awkward side hug. "You love me anyway, _pal._ "

Robin's sheepish grin was enough of a response for Lissa. She released her friend and looked at the tactician with a more serious expression, saying, "I get why you're concerned, but I'm not gonna be a dummy about it. It's...an arrangement," she had to pause and make a face, as she immediately hated the connotations of the word, "and I'm gonna respect it. If Lon'qu wants out, anyway, we can just hang out a lot, Robin."

Robin chuckled. "You would be horribly bored. Please just be good to Lon'qu, okay?" she requested, affectionately ruffling one of Lissa's pigtails. "See if you can't lighten him up a little bit. He won't even talk to me, but I'm also not, uh, persuasive."

Lissa smiled and hopped off of Robin's desk, being careful to not knock any of her tomes or maps off of the table. "Thanks for the pep talk there, Robs." She pushed through the entrance, paused, and turned back to gaze at Robin. "Keep strategizing there, you...uh...strategist."

Robin had already opened a tome and waved at hand at Lissa. "Quit gabbing, you." Lissa giggled before turning heel and meandering back through camp. As she walked, every person she passed smiled at her, which she returned with a cheery wave. There was no shepherd that she disliked; there was something good about everyone. Virion might have been a womanizing romantic, but he also was excellent at games and had wonderful stories. Sully could be something of a brute, but she was honest and kind. Lissa found good in everyone; she just hoped that she could find more than the fact that Lon'qu had saved her just because of circumstance to appreciate about him.

Back at her tent, she pushed the flap open. About to greet Lon'qu, Lissa paused. Lon'qu was sprawled on the bedroll, arms crossed behind his head. He had shed his boots and some of his gear, such as his sword belt and bracers. _Getting comfy, huh?_ Lissa thought, noticing the even rise and fall of his chest. He seemed peaceful while napping, and Lissa had no intention of interrupting it. Mirroring him, she set her staff down, loosened her corset, and sat on her bed roll. There weren't any more plans to head into battle today, either with Risen or to clean up other skirmishes, so why not take a lazy day? She kicked off her boots as well and laid back with a happy sigh. Lon'qu's breathing was so even, and the sun warming the tent lulled Lissa…

...her eyes closed…

...she smelled nature and sweat…

...in went his breath…

...out he exhaled it…

...her name being called…

Lissa.

Lissa?

"Lissa!"

Her eyes snapped open. She hadn't known she'd even dozed off. The sunlight glowed orangey now and the tent felt less toasty, but those changes were not the first things she noticed. There was some sort of commotion outside, and Lon'qu was awake, looking at her with a businesslike expression as he snapped on his bracers. "You're awake. We have trouble ahead."

"Well, that figures." Sleep rapidly wearing off, Lissa sat up, tugging on her boots with one hand while attempting to tighten her corset back up with the other. "You were napping, I was napping, and Chrom or Robin decides we're going to go fight Risen or thugs or something."

"Risen in a nearby village," Lon'qu retorted. Lissa had heard that, in battle, he was able to toss aside his troubles with women. He had said more to her now than in the month prior that he'd been with the shepherds. "I was not napping."

Lissa rolled her eyes, but she decided not to call him out on that blatant lie. She stood, twirling her stave illustriously, and folded her arms. "Quick strategy meeting with Robin first, I'm gonna guess?"

"Always," Lon'qu retorted, slipping out of the tent. Lissa jogged after him, having trouble keeping up with his long strides. He was so damned _tall,_ and she felt so tiny next to him, almost more so than when she stood beside bulkier men like Frederick or Kellam. "Don't walk so close, woman," he added when Lissa caught up.

 _And there it is,_ Lissa thought with a sigh, slowing down so that she tailed a few feet behind him. "Sorry," she huffed.

At the center of camp, shepherds crowded in a circle around Robin. Not being a particularly tall woman herself, Robin stood on a crate by Chrom. Her eyes drifted to Lon'qu and Lissa, appearing in what appeared to be a "fashionably late" manner; in fact, it looked as though everyone else had been waiting on them. _Cripes,_ Lissa thought as her brother and Frederick simultaneously looked at her with pure disapproval. Robin, gods bless her, simply flipped to the back of one of her tomes, where she kept the roster of the shepherds, and began rattling off a strategy. As per Robin's strategy, each shepherd was placed in a pair. Lissa had grown accustomed to hearing certain names together. Chrom and Sumia. Kellam and Miriel. She rattled off names, and Lissa heard, "...and Lon'qu, you're working with Lissa, and as for Sully…"

A few pointed looks were shot in Lon'qu and Lissa's direction. Feeling somewhat red in the face, Lissa brandished her stave and chuckled while Lon'qu looked like he was on the verge of being ill. "Why not Vaike?" he muttered, fiddling with the grip of Killing Edge.

"He's with Sully. Hush," she whispered back.

Robin discussed strategy. The village had been nearly overrun and villagers were holed up inside of their huts, if Sumia, Stahl, and Frederick's scouting was anything to go by. A few pairs were to be sent into the heart of the fray, such as Sully and Vaike and Chrom and Sumia. "Lon'qu, you're protecting Lissa. You'll guard her if she has to go heal anyone, and she'll provide support when you dispatch stragglers," Robin added, dragging her finger further down her roster of shepherds.

Clear annoyance flickered across his features. Lissa's mouth quirked downward; the myrmidon was used to being in the heart of the fray, usually paired with Vaike, to dispatch enemies and clear the field. She could understand that it was exasperating for him, but it hurt her a little that he saw her as no more than a distraction and a hinderance, most likely. Lissa twirled her stave again, her expression grim. She'd prove him wrong; she might not be some macho, physical fighter like Vaike or a tireless warrior like Sully, but she was excellent at support and even better at healing!

Robin sent them away, bidding them good luck and a safe trip. _Not that it's a long trip; that town's a ten minute walk...five if you're with Stahl and he's hungry,_ Lissa thought, trotting after Lon'qu. "Slow down a little bit! You're gonna leave me in the dust!" she huffed.

"Keep up," he said sternly, before adding "woman" under his breath.

Lissa rolled her eyes. She really had to work on making progress with this nub, but for the time being, she had a village to save and potentially shepherds to heal. This was no time to worry about what Lon'qu was or wasn't to her.

* * *

"Well, they're efficient. Sully and Vaike just took down like five Risen in one go. That's crazy, Lon'qu. You fighter types must have some crazy kill numbers."

Lon'qu gritted his teeth. Waiting at the edge of the village with Lissa, he hated that she would not stop talking. The battle was a source of commentary for the tiny blonde, who kept fiddling with that damned stave and bouncing around. She craned her neck, watching as Sumia drove a spear through the chest (core? Did something so inhuman and gross deserve to have a 'chest' in rhetoric?) of a Risen. She swooped past Chrom to deflect a hammer flying his way. _That should be me. I should not be on guard duty like this,_ he thought, sheathing and unsheathing Killing Edge in agitation. _I'm here to fight for Ylisse on behalf of Khan Basilio, not...play babysitter, or whatever this is._

Lissa gazed at him. "You seem pained. I'm sorry if I'm holding you back or whatever."

"I'm a fighter. Not a protector. Quit asking me questions, woman," he grumbled.

Lissa snickered. "Question? I made a statement. An apology, even. I didn't even ask a question, Lon'qu!"

He blushed profusely. "R-right. You're right," he said, staring pointedly ahead. "Daft," he berated himself.

"You're not daft. You just...misspoke, I guess," Lissa said, attempting to comfort a man who wouldn't give her the time of day normally, but she trailed off. Her eyes followed movement close to the tavern...and they grew wide. It was a Risen, charging clumsily after a pair of small children. Heart racing, she gasped, "Lon'qu!" She gripped his arm. "We have to help them!"

Lon'qu shook her off and brandished killing edge. "Stay close," he breathed. Lissa took off after him, barely able to keep up with his strides. It was bad enough when he was walking, but now, as he charged over to protect those children, it was even harder for Lissa to keep up. He remembered the streets of Chon'sin, of losing his best friend to violence...those kids needn't have that. He would prevent it. He had to. _This can't happen again._

They were closing the distance on the Risen. Lon'qu feared it wouldn't be enough. The children were slow, stumbling over themselves and getting twisted in the tall grass. "Lon'qu, do something!" Lissa hissed from behind. Her voice didn't sound as close as it had earlier; her diminutive stature likely hindered her progress in the long grass. "They're gonna die!"

"Working on it!" he snarled. The Risen raised his axe, and Lon'qu roared, throwing himself forward. He swung his sword; it barely marked the Risen, but it was enough that it threw it off balance and away from the kids. Ruthlessly, Lon'qu brought the sword down, driving it deep into the Risen's back with a satisfying hiss. The two children, a tiny boy and girl no older than six, screamed as the monster dissolved into black, swirly ash, coating Lon'qu. He panted. "Are you hurt?" he asked the children.

"I have a big cut on my hand," the girl sniffled, fat tears rolling down her soft cheeks. The wound in question was really just a long scrape on her palm, but it seemed to aggrieve the girl.

"It'll stop bleeding," Lon'qu said, but that didn't quite seem to stop her tears. "Uh, it'll be okay. Just fine. Promise," he added, nonplussed as the girl cried harder.

Lissa, having caught up to Lon'qu, rushed to the children and crouched to their height. "Hi there. I'm Lissa. I can fix that for you. Hold out your hand." She soothed the girl, smoothing her fluffy black locks with one hand as she used the stave to repair the wound. Lon'qu wanted to ask why she would use the stave on a non-threatening wound like that, but as the girl's tears slowed and the boy, also teary, gripped her hand, he understood. It alleviated her fears. To her, nothing could be more terrifying than a bloody wound, even if Lon'qu had dispatched her would-be murderer.

After the wound healed, she gripped the girl's hand and flipped it back and forth, showing the new, shiny skin that had grown over the wound. "Look at that!" she exclaimed, beaming. "It's all better. Good job staying nice and still while I worked my magic."

"Thanks, Lissa!" the girl squeaked, her eyes shining brightly as she marveled at the wound.

The boy rushed up to her and hugged her. "Thanks for saving my sister!" he shouted. Lissa, unbalanced, was knocked onto her butt. She laughed, patting the boy's back.

Lon'qu sheathed Killing Edge; it astounded him that Lissa could be so calm and sweet with children who had been all but blubbering just moments before. It was no small wonder that she had been classed as a healer as opposed to a mage. "I need to get you two to safety," she said, sitting up, looking quite seriously at the children. "Will you let me do that?"

They both nodded, paralleling her serious expression. Lissa looked to Lon'qu. He met her gaze-truly-for the first time, as she said, "I'm going to take these two further out in the grass."

Lon'qu simply nodded, feeling cemented in place by her eyes. They were a greenish gold, somewhat like a cat's, and filled with such a protective care. For a moment, he didn't feel himself pulling away from her.

Lissa led the kids further out in the grass, calling to Lon'qu, "Keep an eye out for more rogues. I'm gonna make sure these two are safe." The boy tugged on her hand as they waded through the grass, obviously trying to tell her something. After a moment, Lon'qu heard Lissa's laughter. The spell was broken; he felt less...still.

Lon'qu felt strange. _I still fear women, but she's...not as bad as the rest._

He heard the telltale clumping of a Risen approaching rapidly. The ugly bastards sure weren't known for their grace or stealth, that was for certain. "Dammit, Chrom! Keep these bastards under control!" he shouted. His aggression back in full force, he whirled, ready to tear apart the beast.

His eyes grew large. There were four approaching, likely going after the children that their fallen comrade had pursued. _This is going to be messy on my own,_ he thought, brandishing Killing Edge forcefully. _But no one else is going to do it._

* * *

"Miss Lissa, can you please stay with us?"

Lissa had led the two children to safety-in this case, a large rock in the middle of the grassy field-and nestled them in, facing away from the village. The little girl was terrified still, her eyes huge. "I don't want you to go. Please don't," she begged.

Lissa planted her stave in the ground and crouched once more to their height. They were so tiny and grubby, with matching black curls and equally dark eyes. "I'm a shepherd. My big brother is Prince Chrom, the protector of Ylisse," she said, garnering wide eyes that watched her with awe. "I might not be a fighter, but I have to make sure that all the fighters I work with stay healthy and safe. It's my duty," she said solemnly.

The boy tugged at her sleeve. "That big guy with the sword...you protect him, too?"

 _Lon'qu._ She remembered the low, animalistic quality of his voice, just as he'd slashed Killing Edge across the Risen's back. There was something unspeakably...attractive about it. He really was a protector, contrary to what he'd told her earlier. No one threw themselves so recklessly after a Risen just because Lissa had ordered them to shrilly. The boy gave her an expectant look; remembering that the boy had asked her a question, Lissa laughed and nodded. "Yes. I protect the big guy with the sword, too." She peered over the rock and groaned. Lon'qu was taking on four Risen by himself. "Speaking of which, he needs a bit of help right now." She looked back down at the kids and smiled. "I'm going to go help him. Stay here, and don't show yourself unless it's someone you know, okay?"

Lissa took off, racing across the field, skirts flapping. Lon'qu deflected the axe of one Risen while kicking away the spear of another; time was running out. She doubted he'd get seriously injured, but she needed to help her partner. The Risen didn't even notice her; they were so focused on Lon'qu, who side-stepped and parried and thrust so violently, yet each movement was so fluid and effortless.

That is, until a sword slashed his ribs. Lissa gasped in shock as Lon'qu staggered and barely dodged an axe. She sprinted, nearing the closest Risen. _This is extremely stupid. Chrom is going to roast my butt for this later._ Raising her staff and praying to the gods, she roared and slammed a Risen over the head with it. It startled him into dropping his axe, which she snagged. Lon'qu stared at her as though she was mad. "I've got your back, Lon'qu!"

"The kids?" he asked, driving his sword through the core of another Risen. It didn't quite exterminate it, and he parried a blow. Lissa, at his back, had to hop forward to avoid getting knocked over by Lon'qu's motions. A Risen came at him from behind; with her limited knowledge of axes, she hurled it into the Risen's face.

"They're fine," she retorted, watching as the Risen crumbled away. Maybe she should look into being a war cleric, like Vaike had suggested the day he taught her to throw an axe. "I'm worried about you, though! Your ribs are a sensitive area! They bleed an awful lot!" In heat of battle, her voice grew increasingly shrill; she hoped Lon'qu wasn't plotting to kill her before some assassin could be the end of the battle.

She heard another Risen crumble behind her. Only two more Risen to go. "We can look at it after these bastards are dead," he growled. He turned again, and Lissa adjusted herself, retrieving the axe . She heard Lon'qu groan as he swung Killing Edge again.

"Lon'qu, let me heal you," she begged, holding the axe and her stave between herself and a Risen. "You're not well!"

"Not until we're finished here," he ordered. Lissa growled in irritation and nailed the Risen, the one bearing down on her with a sword in hand, right in the face.

She whirled on him, shouting, "YOU'RE LOSING BLOOD, YOU NUB!" Lon'qu snarled and drove the blade straight into the chest of the Risen. The creature dissolved, and Lon'qu was left standing, shaking as he attempted to maintain composure. He glared at Lissa as she circled in front of him, arms folded. "Lon'qu, for Naga's sake, you're bleeding all over! Please just let me take care of you for a minute, please." She examined the left side of his chest, where a large wound oozed red all over his shirt. It seemed superficial; he was lucky that his bones and muscles hadn't been sliced as well.

"It had to be done," he said. He wobbled, and Lissa pushed him into sitting position. He scowled and looked away from her. If the sun hadn't set so far in the time between the start of the attack and now, it would've been easier to tell if his cheeks really were pink or not. "Fine, heal me already, woman."

She activated the stave. "You were very brave," she remarked. The stone glowed blue as energies poured into Lon'qu's side. "Thanks for working so hard to save the little ones. It's so easy to write them off as casualties of war sometimes; even Chrom falls into that trap sometimes. But you really worked your butt off to save those two," she said, smiling a little. He watched her, his eyes wary. At least he wasn't sputtering anymore; she had to give him that.

He glanced back at the rock concealing the children. "It was the right thing to do."

"Like I said, sometimes people slip through the cracks and it's written off. War casualties are _great,_ " Lissa said grumpily. New skin knitted over his wound, she slung her stave across her back. "Good as new."

Lon'qu stood, clapping his hand over the new skin and rubbing at it experimentally. "It itches."

"Well, of course it does. Haven't you ever had a cut that healed over and the new skin itches for a while? That happens a lot with magic healing," Lissa responded, sighing and rising to her feet. She gazed at the village, where the Risen were no more. No one had called for a medic; with a sigh of relief, Lissa added, "I'm going to get those kids and get them back to their parents. Go yell at Chrom for letting three Risen get past him or something."

She could've sworn she saw Lon'qu's mouth twitch as though he was about to smile, but his words were stern as she set off to retrieve the children: "Don't order me around, woman."

Lissa sighed. "Whatever you say, there, Lon'qu."

* * *

Lon'qu knew he was distracted with Vaike, of all people, managed to knock him off of his feet in the middle of a sparring session.

Vaike let loose a hoot of laughter, slapping his knee with his free hand as the myrmidon picked himself up. "You okay there, Lonnie boy? You're looking a little...down on yourself!" He laughed harder at his terrible pun and twirled his axe. "So, boy, what's the trouble, huh?"

He frowned. It was two days since the battle at the village, and the camp was packing up to move back to the garrison, for there were no more traces of Risen in the area. "I've been very itchy since I was healed," he said, raising his eyebrow just a fraction at his sparring partner.

"Yeah, right. I watched you fight just fine with a splinted arm no more than a week after you came here," Vaike responded. He set his axe down and plopped on the ground, much to the chagrin of the sparring Stahl and Sully. Shooing them off, Vaike responded, "Ol' Teach here knows a thing or two about...these feelings, so to speak!"

"What the ever loving hell are you talking about?" Lon'qu demanded as he sheathed Killing Edge.

"Lissa...you're grievin' over your...uhhh….bewilderment? Broth-ment...right! Betrothment. You are feeling mighty sad over your betrothment to a girl that you're too big of a scaredy-cat for!" Vaike declared.

Lon'qu almost staggered at the weight of Vaike's misunderstanding of the situation. "I am guarding her, you fool," he said slowly, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Where are you getting this marriage nonsense?"

Vaike shrugged. He stood up, yanked his axe out of the ground, and started to walk away. "Dunno. Just seems like it makes more sense to me than bodyguard, you know? Especially since you two kept those little ones safe last battle and whatnot." Slinging his axe over his shoulder and nearly clipping Miriel as she passed by, he added, "Best of luck to you, Lonnie boy!"

"Lonnie boy?" Stahl remarked to Lon'qu with a good-natured chuckle. "Don't let Lissa hear that one, huh?"

"Stahl! Less talking, more fighting! We've gotta achieve Bull and Panther crap here!" Sully ordered, shaking her spear at him. Stahl gave Lon'qu a lazy, goofy little grin, but Lon'qu was too busy shooting a nervous glance at Lissa. The cleric was napping under a tree. Lon'qu sighed. _Light sleeper. Right._ He removed his bracers and gazed up at the hot blue sky. She really did have his back the other day, lobbing an axe she had little training with at Risen, and she also had protected and soothed those children. Truly, Lissa was remarkable. It seemed obvious to him now why she was so loved and liked amongst the shepherds, even if she was a goofy little princess at the end of the day.

Lon'qu huffed a sigh; in spite of everything, he still felt a strong desire to push her away whenever he saw her, all because of her gender. As Vaike had insinuated in his misinformation-riddled speech, it was all too possible that Lon'qu may never be able to appreciate her for what she truly was, and he'd only ever be able to view her through the lens of her femininity.

* * *

 _Hi everyone! It is I, Mars...like the war god, not the planet? Or is it the other way around? No clue. Here's part two of a fic that is...probably gonna be under ten chapters. Trust me. Actually don't. I thought this was going to be a three parter. I was WRONG. The likelihood of finishing this before starting spring semester is low. I'm so dense, guys. Sorry._

 _In my last chapter I mentioned that Maribelle had achieved Valkyrie class. She's not exactly a social butterfly, and I don't think it's a long stretch to say she'd be studying on her own before promoting a class, because I'm 99.99% certain that one cannot reclass or promote right after the Regna Ferox chapters. Oh, woe is me..._

 _Also, I really love Vaike. He seems like that so stupid he's smart or so smart he's stupid stoner types that you happen across at universities. Is he actually misinterpreting the situation? Is he just a dweeb? We'll never know...jk lol we will, we will._

 _Hope you've all been doing well. My birthday is soon and I'll be moving back to college in a week or so, so I'm hoping that I can get another update or out to you before that happens. Hope y'all are enjoying it._

 _Remember to leave a review or something, too! Even if you're just telling me "nice" or "bad". Writers are starving for attention. Help a brother out._


	3. Chapter 3

**It is I, Mars. I haven't done a disclaimer yet, so here I am. I don't own Fire Emblem. I don't make Fire Emblem. I don't have anything to do with Fire Emblem other than writing silly fics for it of questionable quality. Many thanks.**

* * *

Weeks passed since that skirmish with the Risen at the village, and Lissa noticed that it seemed that maybe, just a teeny, tiny bit, that Lon'qu was warming up to her. No, she still had to sit diagonal from him at dinner to avoid him knocking over everything in the presence of an oh-so-terrifying woman. No, he still addressed her as "woman" and very rarely, if ever, met her gaze. No, he would only come in to sleep in the tent if she was already asleep herself. However, Lissa noticed small things. He had stopped complaining when he had to tail her on her healing rounds, and he had also stopped speaking to her so gruffly. Sometimes, she even managed to stand close to him for more than ten seconds without him getting flustered.

If it had been anyone else acting like this, Lissa would assume that they were infatuated with her...but this was Lon'qu. Did the man even have feelings aside from the desire to stab and further hone his skills with a sword? She wanted to know that Lon'qu was human at all, underneath that gruff - and inexplicably hot - exterior of his.

This was what Lissa pondered upon as she walked along, Lon'qu trailing slightly behind her to the right. After weeks on the road, the shepherds were marching back to Ylisstol. The balmy morning made the long walk more bearable, and Lissa stretched leisurely. "Ah, bless. Awesome morning, don't ya think, Lon'qu?"

"Sure," he responded flatly. Lissa glowered back at him. He seemed absolutely unaffected by the weather; everyone else was giddy and happy, basking in the warm sun as they walked or rode along-even Frederick, normally stiff and unwielding, had his armor hanging loose and a faint smile plastered on his face as he rode along. If Frederick was affected, why wasn't Lon'qu? He noticed Lissa staring at him and he sighed. "There's a rock in front of you."

"Wha-" Her toe caught on something, and fell forward, landing hard on her hands and knees. Stars flashed across her vision; her stave clipped her in the head hard while she was falling. "Well, you were right. There was a rock there. How neat," she mumbled, rubbing at her head.

Lon'qu sighed. To Lissa's surprise, she felt herself being lifted back onto her feet. Her face burned; his hands were so huge and warm, easily encompassing her biceps as she was set back on her feet. "Come on. You'll slow us down," was all Lon'qu said, continuing onward.

Her face burned. Her cheeks burned. Everything burned. He walked on, and his shoulders were so broad. He was so tall. He had touched _her_ with those huge, strong hands of his _._ Had he ever touched a woman before?

And he was absolutely uninterested in her, wasn't he? Damned Lon'qu, anyway.

"You okay there?" remarked a passing voice. Lissa turned, eyes wide, to see Robin standing close, a knowing little smirk on her face. Before she could respond to the tactician, Robin remarked, "You're a little warm. Very red cheeks, I might add. Is that sunstroke? It's a bit early in the day—"

"Don't bully me!" she exclaimed, whacking Robin in the arm.

Robin tweaked a pigtail before resuming her march with a laugh. "Better catch up to your bodyguard. Lon'qu stops for no one," she said, her tone far too jovial for Lissa's embarrassed tastes.

Heeding her advice, she took off after Lon'qu. "Hey, slow down!" she called.

* * *

Ylisstol, in comparison to even the most state-of-the-art Feroxi cities, seemed so modern. Every building was cleanly plastered and obviously recently remodeled, and the streets were devoid of sewage. People seemed far more hygienic as well; when passing others in the street, it was rare to encounter anyone with a strong reek, unlike in Regna Ferox, where most people reeked of sweat, blood, and rust.

Lon'qu was uncertain that he appreciated it. He missed the warrior culture of his adopted Feroxi home, how warm and homey the cities were, and the snowy, rugged landscape. The heat attacked him ruthlessly here; everything felt far too cultured for him as well. People _talked far too much,_ and unless he was training or battling Plegians or Risen, he wasn't allowed to simply draw his sword and duel someone else.

The shepherds marched up the streets to the Ylissean castle, where a brief report of their successes and of upcoming campaigns would be given to Exalt Emmeryn. All of the shepherds were to be dismissed to the barracks, aside from Robin, Chrom, Frederick, and Lissa. Upon thinking of Lissa, Lon'qu frowned. Lissa had been unusually quiet since the morning; it was now the indiscernible transition period between late afternoon and evening, and she had hardly spoken to him (at him may have been more accurate). He almost missed her yapping. Lon'qu generally did not focus on what she was saying about sixty percent of the time, but her voice had a soothing quality to it.

Before he could stop himself, he blurted, "Are you ill?"

Lissa, who had been trailing behind him and waving at some children playing in the street, trotted to catch up. "What was that? Sorry, the children were telling me about their black cat having all white kittens. They were really stymied; I don't think they get that the father cat also...contributes," she trailed off, looking away from him. Her cheeks were very pink, as though she had a fever.

"Are you ill? You have scarcely talked all day. I'm used to you talking my ear off whenever we're marching like this," he said. shoving his hands into his pockets and hitting his funny bone on the pommel of Killing Edge in the process.

His eyes watered horribly as Lissa shrugged. "I'm fine," she responded airily. "If it'll make you feel better I'll have a healer at the castle look at me—"

"No. If you say you're fine, you must be fine," Lon'qu retorted, gritting his teeth. Lissa looked at him oddly. She ceased keeping pace with him and started a conversation with Kellam, likely because she had nearly run into him when she slowed down. The knight was practically invisible, for gods' sake!

The castle was close. Those carrying supplies diverted away from the massive staircase leading up to the huge structure while the rest visibly groaned. "Robin, you sure you can't dismiss us before we have to climb that sucker?" Vaike complained. "Y'know, tell us all we did a great job and stabbed all the right people and then just let us go around the castle so we don't hafta climb those infernal stairs? Our legs are jelly!"

Robin laughed. "Vaike, you're a hoot. Sure. Halt!" The group ceased, and Robin climbed up a few stairs to have a slight height advantage. "Everyone did well. We saved a lot of villages, kept casualties low, and wiped out many Risen. Morale was high, and I'm really proud of the progress everyone made. We're going to be here for a few days, so rest up and try not to overdo it if you do any training. We'll be back on the road to take care of any skirmishes on the southern border within a few days. Everyone is dismissed."

A few cheers went up through the group, and they began to take the paths going around the sides of the castle. Lon'qu began to follow them, thinking that Lissa would not need a guard in such a well-staffed place, and heard someone's throat clearing. It was Chrom, eyeing him questioningly. "Aren't you guarding my sister?" he asked, tapping his foot pointedly.

Lon'qu simply said, "That is a huge building with many guards. Why do you need me to keep up this bodyguard act?"

"They're guarding the castle and not Lissa specifically," he responded, one eyebrow arching ever so slightly. "Until this is sorted out, I really prefer that you stay with her."

A very tiny portion of Lon'qu wanted him to make a pathetic whining noise, like some kind of spoiled dog, but he simply sighed. Basilio would punch him in the jaw if he whined. However, he wouldn't be angry if he argued his case, right? Lon'qu sighed. "Chrom, this is ridiculous. If no one gets past your defenses then why would you need me guarding her?"

"I don't trust anyone," Chrom retorted with narrowed eyes. "If it's someone in the castle, then the guards, the walls, all of this—" he gestured broadly, the mark of the Exalt, his superiority, in clear view— "means nothing. I'm not taking chances on my sister."

Lon'qu frowned. "Do you distrust your cohorts that much?"

"No. I would trust them with my life, but I'm being quite serious. I'm not taking chances on my sister, Lon'qu," he repeated.

"Excuse me!" Lissa piped in. She had been listening the whole time, her arms crossed. With a huge sigh, she said, "Chrom, I don't like that you distrust everyone so much! Is some kitchen worker gonna want to kill me? Is he gonna slip up to my room with a ladle and cram it down my throat? Does Emmeryn find me annoying enough that she'd have someone throw me out a window while I'm sleeping?" she demanded, hands planted on hips. "I'd love a little privacy, and I'm sure Lon'qu would, too!"

"I would, actually," Lon'qu muttered, surprised and even a little pleased that she had included him in her rant. He feared that with the closed walls and lack of obvious sparring grounds, he'd have no room to give himself some healthy personal space. A potential descent to madness would happen faster in a place like this.

Chrom groaned. Robin cut in, tugging at her long, white-blonde hair with a peeved sigh. "Look. Please just listen to Chrom. It's fine if you have objections out in the field. It's coarse to do so here; this is his castle. Be polite and do what he says, even if it _is_ a little excessive," Robin remarked reproachfully to her captain.

Fingers clenched on the bridge of his nose, Chrom muttered, "What she said, minus the bit about me being excessive. Emmeryn is expecting us, so I refuse to argue with you any longer." Lon'qu watched as Chrom turned and walked up the stairs, nearly missing Robin winking at a rather red-faced Lissa. Wondering about the purpose of that roguish expression, he followed the group as they ascended the stairs. He gazed up at the castle and sighed. There was no way on Earth that he would even remotely fit in somewhere like this, yet he would be confined to it for a few days whilst guarding Lissa.

"Lon'qu?" Lissa was waiting a few stairs ahead of him, looking unusually timid. She slid her fingers through the straps of her corset as he approached. "Hey, um...I'm really sorry you have to keep this up. Here, of all places," she added, her grip tightening on the garment.

"What do you mean by here of all places?" Lon'qu asked bluntly. He had paused on the step below her; he still easily had a good five inches on her. Lissa looked away from him, and he sighed. "If you don't want to talk I'm not going to stop you."

Lissa glanced up at her brother, Robin, and Frederick, before turning back to Lon'qu. In a low voice, she said, "I might be popular with the shepherds, but I'll just say that doesn't roll over to home. If you're uncomfortable, I really do get it." Without any more explanation than that, she took the stairs two at a time, calling "Hey, wait up a second!" after her brother and his cohorts.

Lon'qu was frozen on the step and filled with questions about what she may have meant by that, but he realized he was failing in his duty by letting her get so far ahead. "Cripes," he muttered to himself before taking off after her.

* * *

Lissa loved her brother and sister dearly, but being the castle reminded her of how huge of a failure she was as an Ylissean princess. Constant reminders from her former tutors and teachers as to how she was unmannered and nowhere near as diplomatic, or nowhere near as clear and well-spoken as her brother Chrom permeated here and there. Each nook and cranny was filled with memories of her failures.

She supposed none of it was ever very blatant, nor was much of it meant harmfully; however, consistently being compared to Emmeryn's serenity and intelligence or Chrom's valor and strength hadn't sat well. Having teachers and adults that were consistently underwhelmed with her and comparing her to her older siblings…it was an awful way to grow up. When she was only twelve and had shown an unusually strong aptitude for healing, she had immediately joined Chrom and Frederick in their earliest stages of the putting together a shepherd's barrack. Castle life wasn't for her. Being back in this building made her feel like any bit of progress she had made while with the shepherds would be nothing in comparison to Chrom's victories or Emmeryn's philanthropy.

It was sometime after dinner, a rather decadent meal with more meat and bread than she had seen in the past few months, that she stood, leaning against a column facing the courtyard. The late evening breeze was still warm, stirring her hair. If anything, she could at least be glad that she was free of her cleric's uniform for a few days; she had redressed in a breezy blue dress, minus the excessive petticoats she used akin to armor, and had let her hair down. The wind picked at her attire and honey-blonde tresses with abandon. She closed her eyes to it all. Lissa needed to look at it positively; she had a few days sleeping in a comfortable bed and spending some time with Emmeryn, even if she truly did feel more at home with the shepherds.

She heard movement behind her. Lon'qu. He was good at being unobtrusive if he so felt like it. Lissa opened her eyes and glanced backward; standing in the middle of the entrance back into the castle, he seemed equally uncomfortable. "Lon'qu," she called, peeling away from the column. His gaze met hers, and she stopped a distance from him that was comfortable. "This is your first time being in Ylisstol, isn't it?" she asked him.

"Yes," he responded. His tone actually seemed fairly conversational, if a bit terse. "It's...nice, I suppose. Too warm, though."

Lissa laughed. "Yeah, it's pretty, and it's only warm because we're on the right side of the mountains. When Emmeryn took over it was one of her first projects. Modernize Ylisse and restore Ylisstol, that's what she always wanted. Our father really made a mess out of this place," she remarked. The wind picked at her tousled hair again, and she tucked it behind her ear. "I'm not really good at this whole princess thing though, and whenever I'm here instead of wandering around with the shepherds, it's kind of uncomfortable. This is definitely Emmeryn's place. Not mine."

"You don't like being royalty, then," Lon'qu remarked, his eyes following the progress of a pair of priests wandering through the courtyard.

Lissa nodded. Lon'qu's gaze actually snapped to her; he was looking at her without his usual discomfort. _Wow. He doesn't even look vaguely nauseated and disgusted as per usual,_ Lissa thought wryly, using words Miriel had used to describe Lon'qu's demeanor toward women. Pressing her shoulder back against the column, she explained, "Chrom and Emmeryn are perfect royals. Emmeryn is so beautiful, graceful, and educated. People have learned to trust her. Chrom is so...chivalrous, and strong! What a brute!" she declared, flexing a bicep to prove her point. She was rewarded with a tiny smile from Lon'qu, which she considered a personal victory. "I'm really none of that. I'm just little old me. I hung out with the maids and spent a lot of time doing pretty unladylike things. That's why it surprises me so much that someone wants to kill me," Lissa admitted.

"Because you aren't leading your kingdom and you aren't heading the shepherds," Lon'qu said quietly. "If everything you're saying is true, it may be an attempt to get at your brother and sister. Now, give me some space, woman."

Lissa sighed. "Lon'qu, I thought we could have a conversation for once without your irrational fear of women taking over." As an afterthought, she added, "My name is 'Lissa', by the way. Don't you dare call me 'woman' all the time!"H

He scratched at his jaw with a heavy sigh. "It's not exactly irrational. You have no idea. Go back to whatever it is you were doing," Lon'qu ordered. Lissa sighed and drifted down the stairs, plopping into a sitting position on the bottom one in order to gaze up at the stars. She wondered what had happened to Lon'qu in his life that he feared women. Was it an abusive mother? A slew of horrid former lovers? An attempted murder by a woman annoyed by his inability to carry conversation? Lissa wondered if Vaike knew anything about that; he seemed to be Lon'qu's only friend thus far. Whenever she saw him next, she would have to ask, because she felt that Lon'qu would keep that information far out of her reach if he could help it.

As the night drew on, Lon'qu watched Lissa, wherever she ran off to, losing more and more momentum. Shepherds were hardly night people; between patrolling in the middle of the night and waking up at obscene hours to begin a march to another hapless village in Ylisse, very few enjoyed late nights, aside from Miriel and Robin. He watched as she started conversations with the maids and housekeepers with energy, only to quickly lose steam, so to speak, and then flit off to a corner of a castle that she would just about doze off in while still attempting to gab Lon'qu's ear off.

He was reminded a bit of a puppy or a kitten, running until they fell asleep. Lissa normally was able to drop into bed and sleep quite easily, but he sensed that she felt anxious here—she would have to run herself ragged to get any sleep.

He was hanging at the entrance of the kitchens when he heard a woman clear her throat. Hackles raised, he turned to see none other than the Exalt Emmeryn standing there. Unlike at dinner earlier, where she was wearing that strange crown and long, white robes, she was dressed not all that dissimilarly from her younger sister. She sensed Lon'qu's unease and took a few steps back, giving a serene smile. "Hello, Lon'qu. I do apologize. Chrom had told me of your distaste for women; I should not have stood so close to you."

"W-what do you want?" he stuttered.

Emmeryn combed her fingers through long, fine hair that was far smoother than Lissa's thick, messy locks. "I simply wish to thank you for keeping an eye on my sister and for humoring my dear brother. I can sense that this has been quite troubling for you, and I wanted you to know that I recognize that. Please keep her safe, on the battlefield and off."

Lissa glanced over as one of the cooks, a scrawny boy of maybe thirteen, continued telling her a story about a rabbit he had snared a week ago. She saw Emmeryn and waved brightly. Her sister waved back, keeping such an air of peace with each movement. It was no wonder Ylisse had become such a dove nation in the past decade; their Exalt didn't seem to have an iota of conflict within her.

Emmeryn began walking away, her hair swishing and the hem of her dress trailing on the stone floor. Excusing herself from the conversation with the cook, she bounded over to Lon'qu, stopping within a certain radius. He couldn't help but study her; she truly resembled Emmeryn, in a younger, earthier way. "What's with the staring?" she asked him with a little smile.

He shrugged. "Nothing." Watching as Lissa stifled another yawn, Lon'qu pointedly added, "You really should sleep."

She glared at him and shook her head. "Not a chance."

"Lissa, it has to be midnight or later. Shepherds don't stay up that late," Lon'qu argued.

"Ugh, don't use logic on me. That's stuff Emmeryn and Robin use on me," she muttered, but she exited the kitchen and headed toward a staircase. "My room's this way. It's big. Emmeryn said they set something up for you in there, and I'm hoping it's comfortable…." she babbled on, as she seemed to do when she was exhausted. It was part of the reason why Lon'qu only went into the tent to sleep after she'd fallen asleep. Lon'qu trailed along behind her, apprehensive about his sleep situation.

When they reached her room, Lissa shouldered the door open and held it open for Lon'qu. He stood uncertainly in the doorway. Even though the room he was about to enter was far larger than a tent, it somehow seemed more intimate. "Come on, now. Don't tell me I have to invite you in or something," Lissa chastised him.

Lon'qu sighed and stepped through the doorway. Lissa flitted in behind him, letting the door shut with a solid _thunk_ as she turned on the gas lamp near the doorway. The latch clicked, and Lon'qu felt uneasy; did Chrom really want him in his sister's bedroom like this? He surveyed the area; tall windows, latticed with iron. Thick, stone walls, completely impenetrable. The door locked from the inside with some sort of mechanism. It seemed like a miniature fortress. His eyes began to move past the semantics and move toward the details of the large room instead, noting how every fabric was either a soft, creamy yellow or a deep blue, how each pillow on her ridiculously large bed was fluffed to perfection, how one corner was piled high with staves and tomes. In spite of the stone floors and walls, the room was remarkably comfortable.

Close to the doorway, crannied into a corner, was a rather modest bed in comparison to Lissa's. It was probably half the width and dressed in white bedclothes. In his short life, Lon'qu had no idea if he had ever been offered a bed remotely as comfortable. Lissa scoffed when she followed his gaze to the bed. "That thing is puny! Wow! Lon'qu, if you don't like it—"

Unceremoniously Lon'qu strolled over and flopped onto it, relishing the swell of fabrics as he did it. Very rarely did he take pleasure in anything in life aside from his swordfighting and training, but gods be damned if he didn't take full advantage of this setup, whether or not it was in Lissa's room. It was likely that he would never again have a bed this comfortable in his life. "It's fine," he answered, closing his eyes with a sigh.

He heard Lissa laugh. "You might wanna...you know….get out of your travelling clothes and all that first, or you'll wake up at the crack of dawn with a stiff neck and sore ribs."

Lon'qu tore off his bracers, kicked off his boots, and pulled off the leather band around his midriff, letting each item fall to the stone floor with a hard clunk. Lissa continued laughing. He heard the slide of fabrics from her, too, and the sound of a gas lamp being extinguished. "Well, gee, if I knew the way to your heart was a cozy bed, I might've tried it sooner."

"Don't press your luck," Lon'qu warned, but there was a distinct lack of threat behind his words. Gods, was he ever comfortable! He wormed his way under the covers.

Lissa managed to be quiet for all of ten seconds before he heard her ask, "So, what's Regna Ferox like?"

Lon'qu groaned. "You've been there. It's cold and snowy nine months out of the year, and the other three are still cloudy and miserable."

"I'm a foreigner whenever I'm in Regna Ferox. You've lived there all your life, so tell me about it," Lissa retorted.

Lon'qu opened his eyes. Obviously he wouldn't be getting any sleep until he let her get through her talking points, right? He gazed at the dark ceiling, carefully explaining, "I haven't lived there all of my life. I come from Chon'sin."

"Oh, really? I suppose that makes sense. You don't look Feroxi," Lissa responded. "Well, okay, then, as a man from Chon'sin, what's Regna Ferox like?"

He rolled over. "You can easily read about both kingdoms."

"I'd rather hear it from people! Books are stale; they lack personal spin. Plus, I trust you, and I hardly know anything about you. I know lots of things about most of the shepherds, but nothing about you, really. It wouldn't kill you to talk about yourself once in a while, would it?" Lissa inquired.

Lon'qu rolled over. "Go to sleep. That's enough babbling for one night."

After a moment, he heard the tiniest sigh from her right before she responded defeatedly. "Okay, then. Goodnight, Lon'qu."

Oddly enough, guilt swamped him. He normally felt a sense of victory whenever he could get his ward to be quiet, but now...not so much. Lon'qu's mind turned; why was he always pushing her away, anyway? _What happened with Ke'ri was so long ago. I can barely remember her face these days,_ he thought. Lissa had good intention. She had just said that she trusted him, which he viewed as a particularly high compliment to his character. So why couldn't he let her in? Why was it, after all of these weeks, that he still shut her out?

He didn't ponder much more than that before he began to drift into the first sound sleep he had achieved since he started guarding Lissa.

* * *

The next few days for Lissa proved more bearable than she thought they would be. She spent about half of her time catching up with Emmeryn, who had been more of a mother to her than her actual mother, rest her soul, had been. Lon'qu faithfully tailed her, generally a quiet shadow in the background. That is, until she would drag him to the gardens or into town to show him where she'd grown up. He always seemed annoyed with the intrusions at first, when she towed him off to the bakeries and to play with the local kids...but he always seemed to warm up to it. She enjoyed this marked difference.

"Did you used to do this without a guard?" he asked one afternoon as she carried one small, runny-nosed boy on her hip and his scruffy black cat in the other arm. Lon'qu himself was swarmed by a cloud of children as he sat outside some poor woman's house, poking at his clothes and running their hands along his sword sheath. Lissa grinned; he was so perfectly still during all of this. The children had been nervous about his presence earlier when they ran out of their house to greet her, but they quickly warmed up to him when he sat down, lowering himself to their height, and unfolded his arms. He lost his air of intimidation that way.

Finally, Lissa responded to his earlier question. "Yeah, there really wasn't need for a guard, back then. Half the time people didn't even recognize me as a princess. Emmeryn and Chrom do much more royal stuff than I do, you know? I'm just their dorky little sister who plays pranks and talks about boys with Maribelle."

"I'm a boy! Can I be your boyfriend?" The boy on her hip exclaimed. Lon'qu snorted a little at his blatantly starry-eyed infatuation. "Or is the big guy with the sword your boyfriend? I mean, if I were a big guy with a sword, I'd still like you, too."

Lissa's face turned bright pink. "U-uh, no, sweetie. He's not my boyfriend. Go help your mother; she's been cleaning all on her own for a while now." She set him down and handed the boy his cat, shooing him along to his mother, a gangly woman sweeping the porch on their own. Lissa wiped her brow, feeling rather hot at the collar suddenly. Glancing sideways at Lon'qu, she noticed that he was noticeably red as well. Wonderful. They were both gigantic idiots suddenly.

Later on, as they walked down the main street of Ylisstol, where shops and businesses were bustling, Lissa felt painfully aware of Lon'qu, striding along next to her. He was walking closer to her than he had been previously. His warm, tanned skin was so close. She wanted to touch his arm so badly; why did he have to be so afraid of her all the time.

"If you make an etching it would last longer," Lon'qu said flatly, startling Lissa. She had been staring rather pointedly at him for a while now, she supposed.

She rubbed at the back of her neck. "Ah, sorry, Lon'qu. I was just thinking."

"About your marriage prospect with the small boy?" he retorted. Lissa clapped a hand over her mouth, holding in a disgusting, wyvern shriek of laughter. Lon'qu seemed entirely serious in his question.

She felt herself puff up. "Excuse you! He was like five! I'm over a decade older than him!" she chastised him.

"Weirder arrangements have happened," was all Lon'qu could say, obviously startled by Lissa's indignation.

Unable to help herself, she dug her elbow into him. "Don't be such a jerk, you nub!"

He deflected her elbow and put more distance between them, venturing a few inches further out into the street. "Your elbows are very pointy," he remarked.

"Your head is pointy!" she declared as she sidestepped a pile of horse manure in the street.

"How does that even make sense, woman?" Lon'qu groaned. "I don't trust your she-witchy elbows, or your 'pointy head' nonsense."

Yet, somehow, as they turned off onto a side street leading back up to the castle, Lon'qu walked closer to her again. Once again, Lissa found herself looking at him. At his tan skin, his dark, ruffled hair, his grim but full mouth. His eyes were set forward, quietly determined and serious. Lissa had to admit that she enjoyed his silent strength. So many members of the shepherds were so mouthy, constantly talking about how they were going to cut through the enemy ranks effortlessly or how easily they'd beat another shepherd while sparring. Lon'qu was a warrior, but a quiet one. He knew his strength; there was no need for him to brag. She wanted to feel that strength, in his arms and in his back, under her hesitant palms, but most of all, she wanted to feel it in his heart.

She had a strong desire to know him better...and also touch him. There was no denying the physical attraction that resided within her to the myrmidon.

"Is there something wrong with my face? You keep staring at me," Lon'qu questioned. He'd paused in the middle of the street. In the shade from the surrounding buildings, his expression seemed cooler than usual, which made Lissa's face grow all the hotter.

She rubbed at her cheeks for a moment before beaming brightly at her bodyguard. "Uh...well…" There wasn't a good way out of this, was there? Like an avalanche down a Feroxi mountain, Lissa found words tumbling out of her mouth that she couldn't stop. "I really like your face, okay? It's a nice face. You're good-looking and your head isn't pointy. There. I said it." She looked away, folding her arms across her chest with a sigh. _That isn't really how I wanted to go about saying any of that to him._

When she looked up, he was gazing down at her. His eyes were unreadable. Ashamed of her outburst, Lissa looked away, resisting the urge to slam her fist into the stucco wall beside her. "S-sorry," she mumbled. "I'm really stupid."

Before Lon'qu could respond, wingbeats from a pegasus interrupted the pair. "Lady Lissa!" It was Phila, the captain of the Pegasus Knight. She hovered above, her mount ruffling Lissa's hair with its wingbeats. "There is an urgent situation. We need you and Lon'qu back at the castle immediately."

Lissa gazed up at her, shielding her face with her hand. "What's going on?"

"There was an attack on the border of Plegia. Maribelle was there, trying to stop it, and she's gone missing."

Lissa's embarrassment with herself turned into a ball of ice in her chest. Her knees weak, she forgot about Lon'qu's rule of no touching and tugged aggressively on his wrist. "Lon'qu! C'mon! Maribelle is in trouble!" Inside of that ball of ice, her heart pounded rapidly. Her blood felt cold. Her face felt cold. Everything was cold, like Regna Ferox.

He said nothing as Lissa took off. He followed dutifully after her. Lissa was close to tears, between a mixture of embarrassment and fear for her best friend. Chrom, Robin, Frederick, and Lon'qu would help get her back, right? All the shepherds, would, right?

 _Maribelle, you better be okay! We have a lot of stuff to talk about!_

* * *

 _Hello, it is I, Mars, with a brief author's note here (lmao I'm not brief. Ever.) If the quality of this chapter at all seems off I just have had a weird week. It started off on a bad foot and kept getting worse and I feel like my writing for this chapter reflects that ^^"_

 _Anyway, if I were titling chapters for this fic, this one would be called "THERE'S A LOT OF RUNNING OFF WHAT THE HELL" but I suppose that doesn't flow very well. If I ever go back and title chapters for this work, they'd probably all be Latin nonsense._

 _Story Time: when I was little and was introduced to Fire Emblem via Super Smash bros Melee, I thought that Marth and Roy were both speaking Spanish! I had never heard Japanese before, so the closest thing I could think of was Spanish, which I heard a lot in my city growing up. The exciting trumpet music from when you fight them does NOT HELP AT ALL WHEN YOU'RE LIKE SIX AND MAKE CONNECTIONS WITH A SIX YEAR OLD BRAIN! I WAS A CONFUSED LITTLE KID PLEASE DON'T HURT ME!_

 _Also, I find Roy suits my battle style a lot better. Screw all the Roy hate. Roy will always be my boy._

 _Anyway, I'm thinking of writing a modern au for LonLissa! Keep an eye out for that; if sailing is smooth, I hope to post it before the end of this month! Continue to keep an eye out for updates; I'll try and update weekly for this if at all possible. Thanks, everyone, for the positive reviews and follows and favorites! Have a great week, and take care!_


	4. Chapter 4

**Heyo. None of these are very well connected; it's mostly just kind of stupid, fluffy stuff. Enjoy.**

* * *

 _There was a knife at Maribelle's throat. Or was it a knife? Now it looked like a sword, digging in, cutting her flesh. Lissa stood, as though cast in lead, as he friend struggled, as Emmeryn, King Gangrel of Plegia, and Chrom attempted to conduct some form of diplomacy. Lissa couldn't speak, she saw naught but fear in her friend's eyes. There was an understanding that flashed between them; the likelihood that everyone would make it out of this struggle intact was low. The sword was at her throat, tearing at Maribelle's pale skin mercilessly. A thin line of blood trickled down, and Maribelle squeaked. Lissa tried to draw Chrom's attention to it, but he was too busy, and Emmeryn was attempting so hard to keep a level head. "Help!" she tried to call, but her tongue was heavy. She was far too heavy. She was dead weight. The ruffian smirked at Lissa, yanked Maribelle's head back, and drew the sword—_

"No!" Lissa sat bolt upright, her shoulders shaking as she tried to catch her breath. _That didn't happen. Maribelle is safe. She's safe. We're all safe. We rescued her yesterday. Started a damned war, too, but Maribelle is safe. Stupid Plegians._ She drew her knees to her chest and rested her forehead on them, ignoring the gray light of dawn. Lon'qu, her tentmate, seemed to be deep asleep.

She had felt so useless. Lissa was but a mere cleric; she'd supported Lon'qu all battle, but she had been so distracted and afraid. It wasn't until the end of the battle that she knew Maribelle was okay; throughout the battle, she had almost been sabotaging her partner more than helping him. Lon'qu was more beat up than he normally was; his arms and chest were bruised, and he had received a number of cuts from people's weapons.

 _I'm not good at fighting. I just get lucky sometimes. This battle was not one of those times,_ she thought, rubbing at her face. There was still dried blood there, splattered on her by Lon'qu as he tore through enemies. _What use do I serve to this army if I get flustered and can't do what I'm supposed to do? C'mon Lissa, you have to do better than that._

She heard Lon'qu stir. He woke up early; she had to avoid him. She flopped onto her side and pulled her covers over her head. The uncomfortable bed roll met her shoulder with bruising resistance, and it took all she had to not whimper. A minute of silence passed, and Lissa thought she was safe. As she began to stir again, she heard Lon'qu say, "You're not fooling anybody."

"Aw, really? I thought I was being quiet and everything," she muttered, a bit grumpily.

Lon'qu thought for a moment before saying, "Not really. You shouted 'No.' It was loud."

Lissa groaned and buried her face in her pillow. "Well, that figures."

More silence ensued. Maybe Lon'qu had fallen asleep sitting up. She wouldn't put it past him; he seemed to be able to block out things enough that it was possible. "Something...is bothering you," he said, hesitantly. "Are you injured? Do you need a healer?"

"No," she responded, albeit with a muffled voice directly into a pillow.

"Do you...uh...need a woman to talk to?" he asked, sounding horribly awkward. Lissa wondered if he meant feminine hygiene or what Emmeryn had always referred to as "girl troubles," and she somehow had the vague feeling he meant the former of the two options.

Lissa sat up, wrapping her blankets around herself. "Not that, either," she muttered as she gazed at her bare toes.

Lon'qu sighed. He twisted himself around, not quite facing her, but clearly in a position to listen. "Then what is bothering you? I don't enjoy guessing games, woman."

"I was so useless against those Plegians yesterday. You got all banged up, and Donnel and Miriel both had to leave because of injuries I should've healed. I mean, I did after, but they had a lot of meaningless suffering. Miriel's left arm, the radius, was completely shattered. Donnel...gods, did he ever bleed a lot. I should've healed them before it got bad. As far as this shepherd thing goes, I'm really bad at it," she admitted.

The tent was quiet. Some crickets were still chirping outside. They were so cheerful and simple; Lissa almost envied these creatures at the moment. "Also," she added, not without taking a deep, shaky breath, "I dreamed that Maribelle died because of me. Because I was slow and useless. I'm pretty sure this is stupid to think about in the middle of a new war with Plegia, but it's all I can think about, Lon'qu."

She was prepared for him to berate her. Not one for petty problems, Lon'qu never took part in camp gossip, and he tended to brush off anything aside from practical conversation. It truly did surprise her when she heard him say, "You are not useless as a shepherd."

Lissa stared in shock as Lon'qu turned to directly face her. In the weak light, she could just make out his serious expression—not that he was one for jokes anyway, but it comforted her to know that he wasn't jesting, nonetheless. "You are important around this camp. People look to you, because you keep their spirits up. The shepherds would not be the same without you. Also, your battles are very rarely that sloppy, so quit berating yourself."

She ducked her head in attempt to hide her smile from him. Lon'qu had just given her a pep talk! What a great development! Plus, it was reassuring to hear those things from someone as critical and perusatory as Lon'qu. Disgruntled by her silence, he then added, "W-what? What did I say?"

"You said some good things, Lon'qu. You might've actually given me a pep talk," Lissa said cheerfully. "I'm proud of you."

"That is not something to be proud of," he grumbled. He turned back over onto his side. "There are a few hours before I have duties. I'd like to sleep longer. Don't yell in your sleep anymore. It's worrisome."

Lissa blushed. _He worries about things? Scratch that—I think he just said he was worried about me._ She gazed at Lon'qu's form in the dark, the ashen dawn washing over his body. His breathing slowed and deepened as she watched him; under that cool facade of his was someone with a big heart, she decided. It was just a matter of getting to it.

Realizing that she was still staring at Lon'qu as he attempted to sleep for a bit longer, she rolled back over onto her back, her face still hot. _Do I have feelings for him?_ Lissa asked herself as she wrapped her blanket more tightly about herself. Sleep already creeped into the corners of her vision. Her final thought before dozing off was, _Well, if I do, I don't know that he has those sorts of feelings for me. This is gonna be awfully weird._

* * *

Drenched in sweat and breathing heavily, Lon'qu felt that his most recent sparring session with Vaike was successful. Chrom announced a brief campaign in nearby villages to defeat Plegian raiders and Risen as needed before heading back to Ylisstol to strategize with Phila and Emmeryn; for Lon'qu, that meant that it was time to get back into shape. Between his lack of practice from cushy days spent in Ylisstol and the beating he took in their last battle, this workout was definitely needed. The longer they sparred, the more Lon'qu felt attuned to his body. "Use it or lose it" certainly applied to swordfighting.

Vaike spent most of his time deflecting Lon'qu's furious attacks as the practice dragged on, wheezing with laughter. "You're a brutal one, Lonnie Boy!"

Lon'qu brought his sword down in a hot, steely arc and froze just inches before Lon'qu's throat. "I am not Lonnie, nor am I a child," he remarked, eyes narrowed.

His anger was sorely disrupted by clapping behind him. "Wow! That was really great, Lon'qu!" Huffing a sigh, he turned to see Lissa standing there, her stave nestled in the crook of her arm as she expressed obvious amazement at his skills. "Toward the end there I don't know how Vaike even kept up! You're so fast!"

"Ol' Teach is faster than you know! That is, I'm faster than slow. Fine, I'm not slow, and that's what I'm sayin'," Vaike retorted, looking a bit grumpy. Noticing Lissa's eyes on his axe, his expression warmed. "Girly, get over here. I'm gonna show you more axe throwing! I got a little bronze axe that you can use."

Her eyes lit up, and Lon'qu stepped aside as Lissa dashed over. "Lon'qu, watch this! If I get good enough at it, I could became a war cleric! Wouldn't that be great?"

"If you want to use a brutish weapon like that," Lon'qu remarked, but her enthusiasm was hard to dent. Vaike brought over the bronze axe, which she accepted with a grin. "What are you even going to throw that thing at? We're in between Chrom's tent and Robin's tent. There are no stumps, targets, or anything of the nature," he added.

"Well, Lonnie Boy—" Lon'qu could feel his heart rate pick up in an unhealthy way when he heard that awful nickname— "you could just deflect all of her throws with your sword."

Lissa made a small noise of protest. "I'm not gonna throw this at Lon'qu!" she said, testing the weight of the weapon in her small hand. "What if I have a bad throw and bury it in his face or something? Khan Basilio would hate my family forever. Plus, he's been pretty nice to me, and so I don't really want to hurt him."

Lon'qu suddenly remembered how she'd called him good-looking, back in Ylisstol. She had just called him nice as well. _I'm tolerable to her,_ he decided. Running a hand through his hair, he sighed. "When we get back to Ylisstol, Vaike and I will help you with axes at the barracks. There simply isn't a good spot around here that is close to camp."

"Don't speak for Ol' Teach! What do you know about axes, anyway, Lonnie Boy? _I'm_ going to be teaching someone who wants to fight with axes 'bout axes, got that?" Vaike said, clapping one hand on Lissa's shoulder and pointing the other hand, the one holding his massive Iron Axe, at Lon'qu.

The myrmidon felt a twinge of unexplained annoyance at Vaike's gesture. Vaike guffawed at Lon'qu's expression. Releasing Lissa's shoulder, he declared, "What? Don't like it when another man teaches your girl about weapons you know nothin' about, Lonnie Boy?"

Lissa turned pink again, sputtering something indignantly, and Lon'qu couldn't even begin to chastise Vaike before the three heard, "What is going on out here?" Chrom had appeared out of seemingly nowhere during the conversation. Lon'qu kicked himself internally for deciding to spar with Vaike near his tent, knowing the sort of foolish nonsense that Vaike spewed. "What's all this about Lissa learning how to use an axe?"

"Someday, I gotta be something more than a cleric," Lissa commented, pulling away from Vaike and trotting over to Chrom. "Don't tell me you're going to say that I can't play with axes now."

Chrom, bewildered by Lissa's menacing tone, pulled at his collar and stepped back. "No, not at all. That's definitely not where this was going. Anyway, Lissa, I need you to join me in my tent for a moment."

She glanced back at Lon'qu. "My incredibly great bodyguard, too?" Lon'qu resisted the urge to roll his eyes at her.

Chrom looked past her to Lon'qu, and then back to his sister with a nod. "Wherever one of you goes, the other has to go with, at least until we sort out this assassination plot mess. So yes." Lissa grinned at Lon'qu and bounded after Chrom.

"Why the hell is she acting so silly?" he muttered to himself.

"Because she _looooooooooves_ you!" Lon'qu flinched at the sound of Vaike's voice over his shoulder. Resisting the urge to elbow Ol' Teach in the diaphragm, he simply shoved Vaike away and walked after Lissa. He really hoped she hadn't heard that; it was doubtful that she loved him. Who could love someone who spent most of his time concerned about becoming the greatest known swordfighter or sitting in sunny spots? There was nothing about his character that was even remotely loveable. Nonetheless, Vaike's laughter could be heard, even as Lon'qu entered Chrom's tent, where a few people were waiting.

Inside were the two Ylissean royals, Robin, and none other than Maribelle, in the middle of what seemed like a fairly serious conversation. Lon'qu disliked her; she was opinionated and haughty. She was some low-ranking royal who somehow had a greater opinion of herself than Lissa, who was a princess of Ylisse and had more of a right to think the sun and stars revolved around her; Lissa claimed she had finer points, but Lon'qu had yet to see them. Chrom gestured for him to sit down, which he did in the free seat beside Lissa. The presence of Robin and Maribelle set him on edge; where he had grown more comfortable with Lissa, he still feared most women greatly.

Lon'qu focused in on the conversation, where Robin was saying, "So, Maribelle, you've blustered quite a bit, but what are you actually here to say? I feel as though I've listened to a soliloquy from the latest drama."

Fiddling with her parasol anxiously, the royal gave a great sigh. "You all have helped me more than I deserve. You started a war with Plegia to assist me with my...erm...troubles," she paused here, knowing how large of an understatement she had made concerning her plight. With a deep breath to prepare herself, she continued, "I have...realized something very important."

"That being?" Chrom prompted.

"All of you are doing great, important things every day. You assist people. I would like to officially be a shepherd full-time, as my town was razed to the ground, and I have very little to return to," she finished. Meeting everyone's gaze briefly, she added, "As long as you would like to have me."

Lissa shrieked with joy and hopped out of her seat to embrace her friend. "Yes! A hundred times yes! I was wondering when you'd come around!" she cried. Lon'qu clapped a hand to his ear with a sigh.

Chrom laughed. "Lissa, it's my job to decide. But yes, Maribelle. You are very much welcomed to the shepherds. We're always in need of more people who can heal."

 _Why was I brought in here for this?_ Lon'qu wondered as Maribelle hugged Lissa back tightly, giving a teary-eyed smile. Chrom directed Robin to get their newest recruit set up with a tent and personal supplies; as the two women left, Chrom's expression turned more serious, his eyes cool. There had to be a second discussion topic at hand, but what?

When Maribelle and Robin could no longer be heard, the captain steepled his hands, planting his elbows on his desk as he gazed upon Lon'qu and Lissa. Clearly uncomfortable under his gaze, Lissa folded her arms across his chest. "What's this about?" she asked her brother. "You're looking at us like we did something wrong."

"I have an update for both of you," he said slowly. "The threat is from some brigands on the Plegian border who live in our borders but are loyal to Plegia. Other than that, little progress has been made. We have our best men and women on it, but they're a small guerrilla force that happens to be very difficult to track. The minute we get a pegasus knight or mage tailing these bastards, we subsequently lose them."

Lon'qu remarked, "Cheap tactics, then. You can't just point at them so I can go stab them."

"It's much easier to fight a threat with a uniform, that's for certain," Chrom said with a sigh. He dropped into a chair across from Lon'qu and Lissa, looking horribly exhausted. "Lon'qu, I didn't think I would have you do this for so long. I underestimated this group. Earlier today I talked to Vaike and Sully; both are willing to do guard duty if you'd like to quit guarding my sister."

"Hey, wait a second! Do I get a say in this?" Lissa piped up, rising to her feet. "You decided this without asking me? What if I really like Lon'qu as a guard? What if I feel especially safe and all that with Lon'qu around?"

"This is a lot to ask of him, Lissa. Can you not see that?" Chrom growled. Lon'qu had never seen him act this...well...burned out before. He always had this way of keeping a brave face and a light tone; it seemed to be a family trait.

Lissa sighed heavily. "Yes. It is. So...if he's willing, I want him to continue guarding me," she said. She angled herself toward Lon'qu, meeting his gaze with imploring, moss-colored eyes. "Lon'qu. If...if you want to stop guarding me, then it's fine. I'll go with Sully or Vaike or whoever."

 _Freedom._ All Lon'qu had to do was tell her that he was ready to pass her onto someone else, and he would be liberated. He could spend as much time as he liked practicing once again, and he could go wherever he wanted without someone tailing him. But liberated from what? _Her._ She would go with Vaike, potentially, where he would instead be kept up at night in Ylisstol with chatter or towed around in her healing rounds; or she would go with Sully, who would likely drag her around remorselessly.

He felt that irritation rise within him again. Without further though, Lon'qu shook his head. "No. I said I would guard you. So I will keep guarding you," he said, meeting her gaze. Her face went from obviously worried, to shocked, and to insanely happy in the space of about three seconds. She beamed brightly, her hands gripping her skirts. _She wants to hug me,_ he thought, half-hoping she didn't and half-wishing that she'd just throw herself at him.

Yes, she had really grown on him.

Chrom sighed. "Okay, if that's all settled, I have business to return to." Lon'qu barely heard a word of it; the happiness in Lissa's features distracted him. It was only when she trotted out of the tent, humming happily, that he got up and followed her.

She trotted straight back to their shared tent. When he met up with her there, entering through that flap carefully, she was standing there with a very conflicted look on his face. "Lon'qu...I know you don't like it when women touch you, or anything like that, but I really want to hug you right now," she said, examining her hands with a wistful sigh. "So I'll just say thank you. I'm really glad that you didn't push me off on someone else."

Lon'qu glanced behind him. Wordlessly, he turned back to her. Her gaze was so steady upon him, a smile still curving her mouth, and he supposed that make what he was about to do easy enough. Hesitantly, slowly, he moved toward her, reaching out...and quickly snagging her into his arms. She squeaked in shock. Lon'qu was surprised by how _nice_ it was, enveloping the tiny woman into his arms. Part of him still wanted to push her away with some declarations of her she-witch qualities, but most of him was intrigued by how soft she was and how her hair smelled so intoxicating. _This isn't...horrible._

Having gotten over her shock, Lissa hugged him back, her arms wrapped around his midriff. Her cheek was pressed against his sternum. It was at that moment, when she was so close and obviously comfortable in his arms, that he felt his gynophobia return. His body stiffened. Lissa asked, "Um...did I take it too far?"

He released her, stepping back with a very hot face. "It wasn't you," he muttered. He wiped the back of his hand across his mouth, thinking deeply. "I think you know already that I don't fear you as much as I fear other women."

"What a high compliment, Lon'qu," Lissa remarked, giggling a bit. He looked at her; she was so warm, her cheeks pink and her eyes glimmering with a kind of happiness he hadn't seen in her yet. Unable to help himself, he smiled a little bit at her, which only increased the size of her smile.

Something told him he'd made the right choice, deciding to stay in his position as her bodyguard. Whatever it was that he felt for her, whether it was attraction or just the first friendship with a woman that he'd had since he was a child, Lon'qu felt more whole for it.

* * *

"Emmeryn?"

The Ylissean Exalt, having finished talking over the campaign's successes and the impending trouble with Plegia, was surprised when her sister came to her in the main hall, a slightly guilty expression on her face. Her guard—the man from Chon'sin and Regna Ferox jointly, the myrmidon Lon'qu—was nowhere in sight. Emmeryn focused on her younger sister, murmuring, "Hello, Lissa. Where is your guard?"

"Well…" she laughed nervously, rubbing at the back of her head. "We went to my room to nap, because we marched a long way to get back here, and when he fell asleep, I came out here."

Emmeryn raised her eyebrows slightly with an airy laugh. "Oh, Lissa, what is this about?"

"You're smart. I need smart person advice," she muttered. "About...feelings."

Ah. Feelings. She wondered when her sister would stop simply ogling boys from afar and actually attempt to start a relationship with one. With a surprised smile, Emmeryn gestured to one of her sitting rooms. "Oh, of course. We can go right in there. You should hope that Lon'qu wakes after we're done talking."

Alone in the sitting room with her younger sister, Emmeryn offered her tea or some sort of snack, which she declined politely. Emmeryn gazed at Lissa with a faint smile. "So. You have feelings for your guard, as I would understand it?"

"...Yes. I think so," Lissa responded hesitantly, wringing her hands. She seemed so tiny and uncertain on the huge, plushy couch, one of the few relics of their mother in this castle. "Except I can't tell if he's humoring me or not half the time."

Emmeryn sighed. "Dear, why would he simply be humoring you?"

"Well…" she sighed, rubbing at her forehead. "I told him about my insecurities."

"Lon'qu does not seem to be the sort to sugarcoat things, Lissa," Emmeryn responded. She reached over the gap between their couches and grasped Lissa's hand in both of her own. "I don't understand romantic love. I really only care for the people of our nation; however, Lissa, I can tell you right now that he may be slow to reciprocate affection, or anything quite like that—"

"Well, he hugged me. Of his own volition," Lissa murmured.

Emmeryn smiled. "Oh, really?"

"Yes. He did. And he gave me a peptalk and everything. He said he's not as scared of me as he is of other women, but that doesn't mean love. I don't know jack about love, anyway," she grumbled, flopping onto the couch with a huff. "Looking at cute boys from afar is a lot easier than guessing what someone feels for you. Now I'm trying to figure out a cute boy up close, and sometimes I feel like I'm at a total loss."

"Well, you picked an interesting first love, sweetheart," Emmeryn responded. From the time Lissa was able to walk and speak, she worried that, like the Exalt herself, Lissa would experience strange emotional growth and lose the ability to make as strong of personal connections. The minute she started watching boys, Emmeryn grew less worried. Now, as Lissa spoke of Lon'qu with personal interest, many of her worries about her younger sister were dissolving. Perhaps the man she was interested in was not what Emmeryn would have hoped for; he was older than she would've liked him to be and clearly carrying some baggage, but it made Emmeryn happy to know that her sister had that capacity.

Lissa gazed at Emmeryn furtively. "Have you ever liked anyone like that?"

Emmeryn shook her head. "I was too busy piecing apart our kingdom for the past fifteen years. I don't feel very personal love for people aside from you and Chrom. My hope for you is that you find a man who treats you well, whether or not things work out with Lon'qu. My hope is that you are able to be more interpersonal than I am, Lissa, and that you let your guard down and let someone understand you. Do not follow my path," she sternly warned her sister. Lissa nodded to her, looking equally as serious. "Also, I do hope that either you or Chrom have children. I would spoil them rotten in lieu of having my own."

Lissa giggled. "Sure you would. If it's up to Sumia, she and Chrom will be married in the next three months."

The door burst open. "Exalt Emmeryn! Your sister—" It was Lon'qu, looking frantic. Lissa and Emmeryn gazed at the myrmidon as his expression went from fearful to infuriated. "Lissa. I have been looking for you all over this gods-forsaken castle. I woke up and you were gone."

Lissa laughed, a note of fear coloring it orange, and she slowly sat up, smoothing his skirt. "Well...I...needed to talk to Emmeryn?" she explained weakly, attempting to beam at him.

"I do apologize. She had something urgent to speak to me about," Emmeryn responded.

Lon'qu marched into the room and immediately sat next to Lissa, obviously in an attempt to be overbearing and aggravating. "Well, continue. You have plenty of conversations with me hanging around in the background."

Lissa's face went red. "Not this one."

"Why not this one?" Lon'qu questioned. Emmeryn resisted the urge to laugh; Lon'qu and her sister were easily some of the clumsiest people she had ever seen in love—that is, if Lon'qu reciprocated her feelings. She supposed she would have to rescue her sister.

With a very authoritative expression, Emmeryn informed Lon'qu, "We were speaking of cycles."

"Cycles?"

"What a woman experiences. It is of little interest to you, I promise," Emmeryn said airily.

Lon'qu, barely concealing disgust, inched slightly away from Lissa. "Women," he said quietly. Remembering his agitation with Lissa, he turned to her and implored, "We need to speak privately, you and I."

"I suppose so," she said with a laugh. Emmeryn watched, bemused, as she followed Lon'qu from the room.

She stood and straightened her garments with a sigh after the door closed. The worry in Lon'qu's eyes when he burst in...that was beyond that of a bodyguard's, wasn't it? He sounded frantic, like someone who had lost a loved one in a large crowd. _Perhaps he also loves her,_ she thought. _If that is for certain, I hope he acts on it and treats her well. If not, Khan Basilio and I will have to have a little chat,_ she decided.

In the meantime, she would enjoy the peace and quiet.

* * *

"You cannot leave like that and not expect me to worry, woman!"

"Well, you can't just burst in and interrupt my sister and I when we're talking!"

"I did not know where you were and I could not find you. I was going to alert Emmeryn."

"Ugh, but I was _with her!_ "

"How was I to know that?"

Out in one of the gardens, as the sun began to set, Lissa and Lon'qu were arguing. Yes, arguing. Lissa couldn't help it; she was so startled and overrun by his appearance and how he immediately started tearing into her when they were out of earshot of the castle staff. Lissa huffed and massaged her tight throat; she hated arguing. It made her tear up. No one took an angry crier seriously. "I guess you weren't supposed to know that at all," she spat, her brow furrowed.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Lon'qu retorted, folding his arms over his chest and using his immense height to loom over her.

"We were having a private conversation! You didn't need to know about it, Lon'qu!" she exclaimed. Her eyes were threatening to leak now, and she wiped at them.

He seemed perplexed by her emotional response. "Are you...crying?"

"Yes! I can't help it! I start arguing and the waterworks start!" Lissa retorted. Her eyes leaked over, and she wiped at them again. "You probably aren't even taking me seriously because of this."

"I have never met someone who gets angry and sobs as though their world has collapsed before," Lon'qu responded.

Lissa whacked his arm. "Quiet, you nub. It's stupid. I know."

Their tempers cooled by this exchange. the two went to sit on the steps together. Lon'qu sat a step higher than her, as was customary for him. "Lissa," he said, and Lissa was startled, hearing her name said with his voice. His low voice made her name send shivers down her spine. "If you need to speak with someone in private, just say. I will leave the area and watch from afar. You didn't need to sneak away while I was sleeping to find Emmeryn."

Lissa sniffled and dabbed at her face with her handkerchief. "In the moment, I thought it was better than telling Chrom I told you to go away for twenty minutes so I could speak with my sister."

"Chrom," Lon'qu simply muttered with a sigh. "I could close the distance between myself and a potential assassin faster than he could say 'shepherd'."

Lissa sighed. Lon'qu's long legs were stretched out beside her; she had a feeling that he had been a gangly, awkward teenager. "Can I admit something to you?"

"Yes," he said, his voice earnest.

"When Chrom talked about taking you off guard duty, I was worried. I feel like we work well together. So far, we've fought all of once, and I cried and we stopped so it didn't count," she said, earning a quiet snort of amusement from Lon'qu. "I really can trust you, and you seem to trust me, and I didn't want to start over with someone like Vaike, of all people. I really like him; he's funny and has been very helpful while I'm learning how to use axes and things. But...I don't think he'd match up as well with me as you would. And Sully—"

"—would probably push you/me around," they said at the same time.

Lissa laughed. "See what I mean?" She reclined, ignoring the sharp jab of the marble stairs as she looked at Lon'qu, who seemed at least mildly amused by their shared thoughts. Lissa smiled at him, and he acknowledged it with a nod. "Anyway, Lon'qu, I'm sorry. I won't take off like that again. Just...don't let Chrom know about our agreement."

"Easy," he responded, and she giggled. Closing her eyes, she soaked up the last rays of sunlight. In a few days, they would be back on the road again, fighting Plegians, brigands, and Risen. Lissa simply wanted to enjoy this moment with Lon'qu at her side; she wasn't sure how many more there would be in the near future.

* * *

 _Hello, it is I, Mars. Again. You know the drill. I wrote goofy fluffy things to make myself feel better...and also to stave off the assassination attempts (and success ;A;) on Emmeryn. It is too late and I should not be updating this story. It's two in the morning. I have to move back to college tomorrow. What in God's name am I doing._

 _So, quick request for you all: if you're going to make a confusing, nitpicky review, please do not do it on anon. Do it with your account. I don't bite. If I can't figure out why what I'm doing bothers you or your review in general is just like ? for me, I'm not going to fix whatever it is you have issues with. I don't mean to sound rude; I'm just asking that you review in a way that is constructive._

 _On a different note, many of you share my sentiments. ROY'S OUR BOY FOR REAL PALS. ROY IS OUR BOY._

 _I still don't know what I'm aiming for with this fic. Fluff? Plot? I don't know. We'll see how it turns out. Hopefully okay in the end, right? *sweats nervously* This is mostly for me to become acquainted with this pairing and have a little fun while doing it._

 _I'm hoping to update again sometime in the upcoming week, and hopefully I will also be publishing a one or two part modern au for these two as a little side jaunt. Have a great week, everyone. Leave room for Naga. You know._


	5. Chapter 5

**A shorter than usual update. Mostly wanted to explore...some sadder themes. Common themes between my babies hehehe. I am a sad sack. Please stop me. I'm a monster.**

* * *

Things had gone from pleasant to utterly terrifying in the span of a few seconds. One moment, Lissa was trying to tell Lon'qu a story about Chrom getting kicked by a pegasus Sumia was looking after, and the next...the castle was swarmed.

If it hadn't been for Lon'qu, growling, "Be quiet," at her, she wouldn't have shut up in time. In the gardens, he sensed movement that wasn't just the bushes stirring in the wind. Had the assassins come for Lissa?

Footsteps approached rapidly from behind, and Lon'qu rose to his feet and drew Killing Edge in one smooth movement, ready to defend his charge. "Easy there! It's us!" It was Chrom and Robin, joined by some mysterious, thin woman with raven hair.

"What's going on?" Lissa asked, jumping to her feet easily. "There's all that noise—"

"Assassins," Robin said flatly. "They're after Emmeryn. If not for Marth here, we never would have known."

Lissa gasped. "Oh gods! We have to do something!" She hopped up a few stairs, brandishing her stave. "I might not be much of a fighter, but I'm going to do something about this!"

"Phila is getting the shepherds up here, and a few of her best are guarding Emmeryn in the throne room until we get there. For now, you two come with us. We're going to defend Emmeryn to the bitter end, if need be," Chrom said, acknowledging his sister with a nod. He withdrew Falchion, the unusual sword glinting in the half light.

As they rushed into the castle, toward Emmeryn, Lon'qu wondered about the merits of diplomacy. If they had just gone in and taken out Mad King Gangrel and all those associated with him with an assassin or a sniper, this wouldn't be a problem. No, it wasn't honorable. No, most Feroxi and Ylissean people would take issue with it—of course, for different reasons. But in this sort of case, was taking out some madman who hated a woman trying to clean up after her father really such a terrible idea?

"Lon'qu, to your left!" Lissa shouted. Lon'qu withdrew from his thoughts and pulled out Killing Edge with a gratifying shriek of steel; there was a Plegian fighter, brandishing an axe and heading straight for them. Great. He quickly dispatched him, filled with a mixture of satisfaction and disgust at the solid thunk of the man's body hitting the floor. _No longer a threat, but that wasn't a very clean kill,_ he thought. Blood had sprayed all over his clothes and splashed onto Lissa.

"Another one!" cried the woman, Marth. With grace and aggression similar to Chrom's, she took out another axe-swinging murderer. "We must hurry!"

Lissa groaned. "She made such a cute boy, too."

Lon'qu gave her a confused look. She sighed, tightening her grip on her staff as they ran. "I'll tell you later! My sister is in danger!"

 _So are you,_ Lon'qu wanted to say, but he silenced himself. At the throne room, a quartet of pegasus knights stood, wielding tomes, staves, and lances. They bowed as Chrom approached, but he waved this gesture away. "No time for that. When the shepherds come, I want you to go out and take out anyone coming from the outside of the castle. For now, stick with us."

"If anyone's hurt, let me know! I'll heal you up and then you can keep on fighting!" Lissa shouted. Her voice was so pitchy when she was scared; Lon'qu hoped she would stay focused today in order to protect her sister, as well as keep him from getting stuck like a pig on a spit.

The four women nodded and brandished their weapons. Wordlessly, the group fanned out, prepared for the worst. Lon'qu could hear Robin practicing her incantations from a Thunder tome and Chrom fidgeting with Falchion. Lissa twirled her staff anxiously. Lon'qu took a quick glance at her face; the Plegian fighter's blood had sprayed across her nose; she hadn't even bothered to wipe it off. _She is very afraid. Lissa will either be unuseful this battle or nothing will stop her. I cannot tell which,_ Lon'qu thought.

"Captain Chrom!" There was a noticeable sigh of relief that swept through the room as Phila brought in the shepherds. The group, ever increasing, surrounded Robin, looking to her for direction.

"Hey, this is no time for a pre-game huddle," she said, shooing everyone away. "I'm going to some general instructions. Let absolutely _no one_ into that throne room. Phila and her pegasus knights will guard Emmeryn in there." The women nodded to Robin and slid into the room. After they left, Robin continued, "Archers and mages, go towards the front of the castle and snipe as many warriors as you can coming in. Maribelle, stay by me. Lissa, stay by Lon'qu. Direct fighters, take out anyone who gets past the mages and archers."

The shepherds dispersed; Miriel, Virion, and Donnel dispersed toward the front of the castle, Robin following them with Maribelle in tow. The remaining shepherds flocked to the doorways of the hallway around the throne room. Lon'qu was left by Lissa. She twirled her staff around and planted it on the floor fiercely, declaring, "If anyone hurts my sister or any of my shepherds, I will smash their head in with my stave. Or...you know. Direct them to you. You have the sharp, pointy object"

"Do not break your stave," Lon'qu grumbled. He hated waiting like this. He simply wanted to track the Plegians down and gut them before they made it this far, but he understood that it would leave a hole in Emmeryn's protection, as well as putting Lissa in danger.

"Hey! Wait a second!" Vaike jogged up from the other end of the echoing hallway, where Kellam looked at him with a confounded expression. He came up to Lissa and presented her with the bronze axe. "Ol' Teach thinks you might need this during this little scrap. Raise a little hell, right, you two?"

Lissa nodded, her expression determined. Lon'qu, feeling irritation arise again when he approached, simply replied, "Return to your post. She knows what is at stake, as do I."

Vaike scowled at him. "No need to be such a grouch there, huh, Lonnie Boy?"

As Vaike stumped off, Lissa leaned toward him and whispered, "What are you playing at? That was kind of cold, even for you."

Lon'qu ignored it. Thankfully (rather shamefully for him), he heard encroaching footsteps. "Later. We have company."

"Can I throw the axe now?" Lissa whispered back, vengeance bright in her normally sweet voice.

"There are many people to throw an axe at. Keep your head level and focus on healing," he ordered. Lissa nodded, switching her staff to her dominant hand and giving it a fast twirl. Another Plegian fighter, a massive axe in hand, was approaching the hall; it was doubtful that he would even be aware of his impending death. When he was just close enough, Lon'qu flew out at him, Killing Edge flashing out and slicing through the man's neck. He was dead before he hit the floor.

They kept coming from there. Miriel and the other distance fighters could only thin the crowd so much, obviously; Lon'qu fought. Killing Edge spattered blood on the walls; he and Lissa resembled grotesque harlequins.

"To your right! Your left!" Lissa shouted directions, deflecting blows aimed at him with her stave and the bronze axe. Most of the time, they worked seamlessly and soundlessly. Sword fighters, cavaliers, knights—it didn't matter. Aside from a few scrapes on Lon'qu's arms and a bruise from a broken lance butt that clipped Lissa's face, they were unharmed. Instead, carnage lay scattered about them; absolutely no one would touch Emmeryn when they were around.

Between surges of Plegians, they'd run to the other end of the hall, healing any injuries sustained by their fellow shepherds, before racing back to raise even more hell. "Shouldn't you also be taking care of your injuries? You two are practically bathing in blood!" Chrom remarked as Lissa repaired a deep gash that pumped sticky redness.

"Nope. That hallway is going to need to be cleaned up after all this," Lissa answered smoothly. "You know, when we take these sickos out and protect our sister from this madness."

"How many?" Morbid curiosity crossed Chrom's bruised face.

"Twenty, give or take a few," Lon'qu retorted, watching the entrance to the hallway closely.

Chrom watched with wide eyes. "That's...something," he remarked slowly.

Lon'qu heard more commotion from the next hallway over. "Get over here, woman. There are more coming."

She leapt up, her expression so serious and warlike that the myrmidon hardly recognized her. Lissa was obviously fearful, with pink in her cheeks and a slight tremor in her hands, but her loyalty trumped that; she wouldn't allow anyone to hurt her family, her cohorts…

Or him.

In turn, there was no way he would let anyone hurt her. Yes, it was his job, but she had so much trust placed in him. How could he break that? Especially when it was _her?_

Lon'qu shook off the thought and met a Plegian with a steel sword at the stairs. He brought up Killing Edge, deflecting the steel weapon with ease. A loud crack resounded through the hall, shaking Lon'qu where he stood. Had he cracked his weapon? Killing Edge wouldn't break so easily; nothing made in the forges of Chon'sin broke so easily. Ignoring it, he stepped back and stabbed the man, the life in his eyes shattering.

That wasn't the only thing that shattered—Lon'qu withdrew Killing Edge from the man's body, but only half the blade came with. Shock swept through him and brought him to his knees; in this state, he forgot of the iron sword, an inferior weapon to his now useless Killing Edge, hanging off his other hip. Another Plegian was approaching, but a strange feeling had him rooted in spot, as he stared down at the hilt of the broken weapon.

For the first time in a long time, since his childhood in the slums of Chon'sin, Lon'qu froze.

* * *

Lon'qu. Needed. To. Move. Now.

That Plegian was racing at him, lance lowered. Lissa needed to move her mouth, to tell him to dodge that. She couldn't. Instead, her hands moved before her mouth could. As did her feet. She charged at the Plegian, preparing to lob the axe at his head. The burly man seemed shocked by the tiny woman, dressed in cleric's gear with a dinky axe approaching him.

 _Lon'qu, you will not die for me! Or my sister!_ Lissa wound up and lobbed it hard at the man; it hit its mark, caving in part of his helmet and sending him crashing into a wall. He certainly wasn't dead, but neither was Lon'qu. She rushed over to him, shaking his arm. Something obviously was wrong; his face contorted and twitched in pain. "Lon'qu, are you hurt? Did the weapon breaking hurt you?" she asked, crouching beside him. The Plegian groaned nearby. Great. She'd only managed to daze the bastard.

He shook his head;it was the tiniest of motions. "N-no," he responded, his voice small.

"Look, whatever it is, that guy is going to come to and try to kill us. Either give me your sword so I can get rid of him the wrong way or get up and do it the right way. Come on, Lon'qu," Lissa begged. He was slowly standing. Fear pulsed through her; there was no way to get the axe safely; it had skittered down the staircase leading up to this hallway, landing somewhere on the level below. "Please," she whispered, her voice growing shaky as the man's eyes clearly focused on _her._

"Not so brave now, are you, girly?" he said, bouncing his lance in his palm.

"Back off!" she shouted, pointing her staff at him. She would crush his windpipe with it if she had to.

He laughed and pointed the lance at her; the tip was mere inches from her face. "Ha. You're Emmeryn's kid sister, aren't you? My boss would pay me extra if I took you out, too. The hit's out on the Exalt, but any of you would do."

Lissa took a few steps backward, her heart pounding madly. _Chrom, Frederick, Robin, Emmeryn, Lon'qu, I am so sorry. I was always the weakest shepherd. Vaike, you'd be ashamed of me. That had to be the most useless axe throw in the history of axe throws,_ she thought. Her heel caught on a shattered sword from a dead Plegian on the floor and she tripped backwards, landing on her rear end and likely bruising her tailbone in the proces. The staff flew from her grip. Yeah, she was about to die, wasn't she? Forget that other assassination plot by some dissatisfied brigands on the border of Plegia and Ylisse. The man laughed, and Lissa threw her arms up, guarding herself from what was to come next. She would die hearing that sick, guttural laugh, and Lon'qu—whatever was going on with him—would be left with nothing but shame and grief.

She heard a weapon penetrating flesh and a groan—but it wasn't her own. She looked up to the Plegian, his throat cut from behind. _Lon'qu?_ His body was tossed aside, and Lon'qu stood there, his expression still so very wrong, and his chest heaved as though he had run across the entire kingdom of Ylisse to get to her. "Are...are you unharmed?" he asked, the iron sword gripped loosely in his hand.

She nodded, her throat tight from adrenaline. She stood and retrieved her staff, watching as Chrom took off down the main hallway after...something. Perhaps the individual leading the attack on the castle? The commotion seemed to have died down at this point; whatever it was, Lissa felt that they could rest easy, at least for the moment. She turned her attentions back to her partner. Lon'qu's expression was still filled with so much pain; was it because he, on top of whatever injury he might be concealing, felt disappointed in her? "I'm sorry!" she apologized sheepishly, rubbing at the back of her head. "That was probably the worst possible throw I could've made with that axe. You wouldn't have had to come to my rescue if it weren't for me."

"No." She watched in concern as he sheathed the iron sword. "I'm sorry."

"What for?" she asked. Lissa stepped toward him, but planted the staff between them as a buffer. "Do you need to be healed, Lon'qu? You look like you're in some pretty serious pain. I can mend that, you know?"

"I have no injuries," he responded.

"Quit lying. You're obviously in pain," she retorted. He wasn't about to pull the wool over her eyes!

He glared at her. Lissa immediately lost her jaunty, all-knowing expression. "Little to none of this blood is mine. Stop pestering me," he said, his tone venomous.

Lissa took a step back. With that tone, he might as well have called her a useless burden. _Pester._ That was a word she heard far too often for far too long, from many of her teachers and from various Ylissean lords and ladies. She was always _pestering_ someone, she was always such a _bother,_ she was always so _infuriating._ Why wasn't she all cool and collected like Emmeryn? Why wasn't she so centered and focused like Chrom?

Why was she herself, and why was she so annoying as herself?

Old hurt crept through her, but she bit it back as she rested her staff over her shoulders. "Fine," she said, her tone taking a businesslike edge that Robin's often took. "Then come with me. I'm going to check in on Vaike and Sully and all of those guys, whether or not you find me repulsive."

"That is _not_ what I said," Lon'qu protested.

"Doesn't matter. We've got work to do," Lissa said flatly. She brandished the staff and moved toward Vaike, who cradled an arm that looked fractured. Readying a healing spell, she took a deep breath. _Maybe he realized suddenly how freaking aggravating I am, huh? That's why he froze up and I almost died?_ Lissa thought bitterly. _Typical. He's getting sick of me._

* * *

"Have you talked to the new guys yet? Well...Gaius, I mean. Panne is a woman...and a rabbit, but she _really_ looks like a woman. So that means you wouldn't have talked to her. Now, normally I'd say, 'Lissa is the exception to that, but she's the exception to a lot of rules!' But you aren't even talking to her, so I guess it's back to all women, huh, Lon'qu?"

Looking up at Stahl from a scant lunch of slightly undercooked chicken and cold potatoes in the barracks, Lon'qu wanted to kill the cavalier. He was ever so chatty, speaking stupidly after eating probably five helpings' worth of meat and potatoes, and it wasn't as though he really wanted reminders that Lissa hadn't spoken to him since the foiled assassination attempt against her sister. It had been three days since Chrom told him that she was spending a few days with Emmeryn, healing any injured staff members and enjoying her sister's company.

Lon'qu knew that, in those minutes part of him was back in Chon'sin, watching again as Ke'ri died, he had said something to Lissa that had hurt her.

So, he really wished that Stahl would stop bringing it up. "If you don't be quiet, I will move tables and get Sully to sit by you."

"You wouldn't!" Stahl gasped, visibly blanching.

"Thank you," he responded. Even if the food hadn't been completely awful, Lon'qu still wouldn't have any appetite. Stahl gazed at Lon'qu's plate with open interest; the myrmidon shoved it at the cavalier, who accepted it with a dopey grin. _What a vulture,_ he thought with a sigh.

The "new guy", the thief Gaius, sat at the end of the next table over, speaking with none other than Chrom, Robin, and Sumia. Robin was laughing, her hand clapped over her mouth, and even Sumia, who really only chuckled at Chrom's poor attempts at humor, giggled at his quips. He certainly was a charming one. The women of camp couldn't stay away from him—not even Sully. She very rarely got "chummy" with people, and he'd witnessed her more than a few times chatting away with him while she sharpened weapons and buffed armor.

The thought made him want to seek out Lissa. He ignored it; she would come around when she would come around, right? Lon'qu would apologize then.

That is, until he heard a snippet of conversation.

"So, uh, Blue, haven't seen much of your cute sister," he remarked, a sly grin on his face.

"Well, Emmeryn is a very busy woman—"

Gaius waved his hand, cutting off Chrom. "Oh, no, you've got it all wrong there, pal. I'm not talking about Emmeryn. She's a complete masterpiece and all, but I'm talking about Lissa. We talked for about five minutes. She thanked me for 'doing the right thing' or whatever nonsense it is you royal types do and disappeared. Haven't seen much of that cute face of hers. Is this normal for her? Because I hope not."

Lon'qu felt overwhelming irritation, almost as powerful as the similar expression that rushed over Chrom's face. He stood. A strong desire to find Lissa and apologize immediately rushed over him, all because of Gaius's remark. "Hey, where are you going?" Stahl asked.

"Somewhere important," he growled. As he passed by Gaius, he made sure to clip him with his arm and make it look like an accident, even muttering "sorry" as he passed by so that they knew that it was just a little "mistake." Chrom, Robin, and Sumia looked at him strangely, but he ignored them. _I have to find Lissa. Right now._

* * *

 _A/N: Hello there! I don't know when I'll be updating again, so I decided to put out what I had, all polished and revised and whatnot. A bit anticlimactic on what is probably the world's most boring cliffhanger, but no matter!_

 _I'm at college. I have 18 credits this semester and I teach lessons four nights a week. My days are like 9 am to 8 pm sometimes. Someone please tell me to slow down so I don't burn out by second semester of next year._

 _Anyway, some quick notes:_

 _It's hard writing about battles in Fire Emblem. It's like a weird game of chess. In a real-time context, no one takes turns swinging their swords or whatever at one another. So it's always so weird transitioning from playing through a scene for reference to suddenly writing about an actual battle._

 _Also, I have never actually had Lissa as a War Cleric. I don't want to do the grinding involved to get her strength and all that up to a place where I'd be comfortable sending her out on the field. I usually have her as a sage, but in this story, it feels way more organic to have her as a War Cleric._

 _I feel like I use "quotation marks" a lot with Lon'qu. I think it's because he looks at a lot of things a bit disdainfully or with a sense of disbelief, in which the "quotation marks" become necessary. Seriously. He can be a_ _real stick in the mud. He is so lucky that he's one of the most attractive characters in that game (and there are a lot of attractive characters)._

 _I'm really not looking forward to writing about Emmeryn getting killed off, guys. I love her. I really understand that detached, striving for peace vibe she has. Plus, she's just...such a pure sweet cinnamon roll? Who didn't deserve this? C'mon Gangrel, why u gotta be like that? Also...it means yet another angsty chapter is on the horizon._

 _ALSO I AM CURRENTLY IN A PLAYTHROUGH AND I CAN'T GET OVER HOW RUDE EVERYONE IS TO OWAIN. I ALMOST MARRIED HIM OFF TO KJELLE but I didn't because, honestly, she is so rude to him, constantly telling him to buzz off and not do his theatrics. Nah is kind of the same way; I'm on A support with her and I'm really considering not marrying him to her and going for Morgan or Cynthia instead. I love his theatrics. Everyone constantly treats him like he's some weird kid or something, as opposed to some dramatic swordmaster type. Please just let my melodramatic, over-the-top, Chris Pratt-sounding child have some fun, please. He deserves it. I'd also forgotten that Lon'qu dies in the bad future because he's protecting his son, same way he protected his wife. Seriously. This stuff couldn't be any more Shakespearean and heartbreaking (oh wait, Gangrel's paralogue and support conversations! He is WAY more Shakespearean! Hamlet, anyone?)_

 _P.S. I am in Fire Emblem hell again._

 _P.S.S. I REALLY wish you could gay romance certain characters in this game, because Say'ri and Tiki really need that S-support._

 _Yes. Anyway. I should cut off here or I will rant forever about things I noticed on my playthrough. Have a great week, everyone! I'll try to keep publishing every few days until the honeymoon period of the first few weeks of classes wears off. Until then, behave yourselves!_


	6. Chapter 6

**Something something eat your bear jerky, Frederick. It's good for you, Frederick. Just do it, Frederick.**

* * *

The carnage from the attempt on Emmeryn's life truly frightened Lissa. They hadn't just gone after the Exalt; about half of the staff members had been harmed. Some wounds, namely superficial wounds, concussions, and broken bones, had been fixable with a few treatments of healing spells; a few cooks, two maids, and a butler, were back on duty after Lissa and Maribelle had diligently healed them.

For a maid and four guards, though, their injuries were far worse.

The maid, along with one of the guards, had lost limbs, lopped off by weapons. Between the pains of making sure the stump healed correctly and counseling them through the trauma, Lissa knew it would be a difficult road for both. Others had been nearly eviscerated, and now Lissa and Maribelle were doing their best to rearrange and heal their bodies in proper order.

Lissa was convinced that the ones who had been opened up would heal up correctly and return to work within a few weeks. As for the two who lost limbs, she was concerned about their livelihoods. The guard had lost a leg; unless he became an archer, his career was essentially over. For the maid, the lost arm harmed her marriage prospects, more than anything else. "No well-to-do Ylissean man is going want to marry a woman injured in battle," she said to Lissa, two days after the attack as she underwent another round of healing to properly close up her stump. Her eyes were brimming with tears—from physical pain or emotional pain, Lissa couldn't begin to fathom. "I can do my job just fine with one arm, but...what man will want me?"

"Someone will," she reassured her. Although her troubles with Lon'qu were almost petty in comparison to his woman's worries, Lissa empathized with her. "Also, if no Ylissean man wants you, wait 'til some buff Feroxi man comes through and finds your battle wound attractive."

"Those brutes enjoy that?" she asked, her nose wrinkled.

Lissa laughed. "Those 'brutes' like tough women. Look at you! You survived getting your arm cut off! You're talking about getting back to your job!" She released the spell, examining the raw skin that had started to cover the end of the woman's appendage. "Plus, you still have the upper half. We could get you a cool hook or something."

"Lissa, my darling, are you encouraging the poor woman to look like a pirate?" Maribelle walked over, wiping copious amounts of blood from her hands. When Lissa gave her a questioning look, she sighed. "The guard who lost his leg. He's ticklish. I was attempting to change his bandages, and I suppose I touched his thigh wrong or something. He moved his leg in just the wrong fashion and began bleeding profusely. All over me."

Chuckling, Lissa began another round of healing on her patient. The end of the staff glowed warmly as she worked, and the maid twitched. New skin over an injury of this nature tended to itch horribly; Lissa herself had never needed a healing and had no idea. "Someday, when you get married, you have to let me give a speech. I'll talk about the time you just about made a man bleed out because you tickled his thigh."

"You will do no such thing, Lissa!" Maribelle ordered, making both the maid and Lissa giggle. "I promise you, if you do such a tawdry thing—"

"Jeez, I kid, I kid. Cool it, Maribelle," Lissa said, holding her hands out defensively. "I promise you, I will probably not mention that story at your wedding. Now, you never said in private, when I meet your future husband."

After the second round of healing, Lissa stood and grasped the maid's only hand. "This is as much as I can do today without overworking my staff or accidentally thickening your skin. We'll pick up again in a day or two, okay?"

The maid nodded, giving Lissa a brave smile. "Thank you for your patience. And for the entertainment," she added as she gave Maribelle a pointed look.

"Much obliged, my lady," Lissa said, mimicking Maribelle's stuffy language. As she stood up to walk out of the infirmary, Maribelle hooked her arm through Lissa's, beaming that tight, annoyed smile she managed so well. Before Lissa could ask what was going on, Maribelle swung out into the hallway and toward a rather stuffy little supply closet. As Maribelle hurried her inside, the cleric asked, "What are you doing?"

"We need to have a little chat, darling. Something is amiss," she responded. Lissa perched herself on the edge of a barrel of flour, sighing. _She's probably going to yell at me for having a little fun at her expense or something. It's not my fault she sounds so puffed up all the time,_ Lissa thought, a touch grumpily.

Maribelle gazed down at her, leaning against shelves containing sugar and other raw ingredients. "You have not had the swordsman from Chon'sin with you for a few days," she remarked. "Is he not your guard?"

"I'm in the castle. Right now, he's not...particularly needed," she remarked, rubbing at her neck awkwardly. "So I'm here. He's in the garrison."

"After an attack of that nature, would it not make more sense for him to stand up here and guard you?" Maribelle asked.

Lissa cursed her logic. _Nothing escapes her, does it?_ "You know about my insecurities about...well…people? And being annoying?"

"Yes," Maribelle responded, pushing her parasol open partway nonchalantly. "You are afraid that you annoy others and that you are not a good royal," Maribelle concluded with a huff. "Why bring that up?"

"Well, I've kind of told him about those things, thinking he'd empathize. He seemed to understand, at first," Lissa said. Her tone crestfallen, she continued, "Then, during the attack, he froze up. A Plegian almost killed me," she paused here, feeling shaky. Whenever she closed her eyes, the tip of his lance in her face was still emblazoned on her eyelids.

"Take your time," Maribelle said soothingly.

Lissa sighed. After a moment, she said, "He just...he told me to stop pestering him.I thought he was hurt or something. But no, I guess I was just bothering him. Like my teachers and the older nobles used to do. I didn't think that I was annoying him _that_ badly," she said, crestfallen.

"Would you like me to beat him with my parasol? It's not very ladylike, I will admit that, but using a word like 'pester' when you're obviously quite sensitive about that? How crass," she remarked, her eyes narrowing.

Lissa pushed her parasol down from its attack position. "No. I should've known. He doesn't like women to begin with. Why did I think he'd be okay with spending all of his time around an _annoying_ one, like me?" she said, her tone dark.

"If it makes you feel any better, I found you refreshing, not annoying," Maribelle remarked, resting her free hand on top of Lissa's. "You've always been a good friend to me, no matter what other people said about me. Yes, you are stubborn. Yes, you have never been very ladylike. You have always been a good person, though, and if he cannot see that, then that is his own fault, darling." She gave her friend a quick hug. "Darling, I have matters to attend to. I have to make sure that Mr. Ticklish Thigh does not trigger his wound again. I told him that new skin was fragile, too, and yet there he was, bucking around like a fish out of water."

After Maribelle left, Lissa sat on the barrel alone for a while, gazing at her hands. There was blood, not even her own, under her nails. She was disgusted by it, but she dropped her hands back into her lap and groaned loudly. Now what? _Maribelle, thanks for the pep talk, but what am I supposed to do about Lon'qu? Do I ask for a new guard? Do I stay here for a while without the shepherds and take care of the injured? What do I do? You always tell me what I should do when I don't want it, so why didn't you take the time to tell me now?_

She stood and straightened her skirt. Lissa decided to seek out Emmeryn. Wise and wonderful—but currently busy with reparations in her castle...would she even be able to give Lissa any answers?

It was worth a shot.

* * *

"I need to speak with Lissa."

Lon'qu had been stopped at the back door leading through the kitchens of the castle by a guard, a scrawny teenager with a hand axe under one arm while the other was stuck in a sling. Clearly someone hadn't bothered to see Maribelle and Lissa. "Some random bloke from Chon'sin?" the kid asked, squinting at Lon'qu. "No. And why with the sword?"

"I'm a shepherd. I work directly with Captain Chrom, as ordered by Khan Basilio of Regna Ferox. Let me in," Lon'qu ordered, crossing his arms. He ignored the boy's vague racism; it was more important to find Lissa than to deal this kid a severe beating.

The teenager _wiped his nose with his hand_ in front of Lon'qu, snorting loudly. "Sorry. My hay fever is something awful."

"You are wasting my time. I care not about your hay fever. Let me in," Lon'qu repeated as he stepped back from the boy. Some of these Ylisseans were worse when it came to manners than Feroxi warriors! "Who are you to decide these things?"

"Well, who are you to order me around? I don't care a bit about what some Feroxi khan said. I'm Ylissean. I listen to what my Exalt says. Or...what my Exalt tells the captain of the guard to tell me," he said, frowning.

Lon'qu groaned. He didn't have time to play around with semantics with this _child._ "Either step aside or I will make you step aside. This is ridiculous."

"Jeez, sir. Fine. I'm gonna go talk to Captain Phila. You're on the honor system. You'll wait right here until I let you in," the boy said, pointing two fingers at his eyes and then at Lon'qu in the classic "I'm watching you" move. Lon'qu stood, nonplussed, as the boy disappeared into the castle. He didn't hear the lock click when the door shut. When he stepped up to it and tested the knob, he found that it opened.

 _So...this is who Lissa is letting herself be guarded by,_ he thought, closing the door. If that boy wasn't back within five minutes, he would walk into the castle on his own and find Lissa, also on his own. He didn't need some Ylissean whelp telling him what he, as a shepherd working for both Captain Chrom and Khan Basilio, could do.

* * *

Emmeryn was nowhere to be found. Truth be told, Lissa hadn't expected to be able to find her; somewhere in Ylisstol, she was roaming the streets with her guard. Lissa normally admired that. Now, as she needed her sister's guidance, she didn't appreciate Emmeryn's humanitarian efforts.

Lissa wandered through the castle, trailing her fingers along the cold, rather unwelcoming stone walls. What she wouldn't give to live somewhere small, cozy, and stationary, a place that a fire could warm in minutes and didn't stash into a roll on a horse's back. She removed her hand from the wall and jammed them into the pocket on her apron. It was early summer, and somehow she was still cold. Never mind somehow—she knew exactly how. She had just been thinking about how frigid this castle was.

She started upstairs toward her room, and then paused. It felt wrong, being alone. The castle was swarming with guards; shepherds filled in here and there for those who were still out of commission. Just this morning, she had spoken with Panne, the new shepherd who was a taguel, and Frederick; yet, she felt that she was missing her shadow.

She truly doubted that he missed her. Lissa frowned and hopped down the stairs, taking two at a time. He'd been so reluctant to guard her, after all. Even if they'd become fairly friendly, who was to say it hadn't been an act he had put up just so Lissa's feelings wouldn't be hurt?

She hopped off the last stair and stood, gazing at the huge, open vestibule with a sigh. "Meh. Boys are dumb," she muttered to herself.

While she decided what to do, her stomach growled. Lissa chided herself; how much had she even eaten in the past few days, between her constant brooding and taking care of injured staff members? She had missed lunch again; maybe there were a few rolls or apples sitting around that she could grab to stave off hunger until dinner. As she headed down that hallway, her thoughts turned to food. What even would be for dinner tonight? She hoped that there was some kind of soup. How long had it been since—

Lissa collided with a rather solid human as she rounded the corner. She fell backwards, but a broad hand snagged hers, yanking her to her feet. Lon'qu. There was no forgetting the feeling of that warm, strong, _rough_ hand of his. Her face was already hot, but she tore her hand out his grip and gave him a rather chilly look. "Well, hi there, Lon'qu."

"We need to talk," he simply said, slowly retracting his hand.

She felt weak. Pushing her shoulder hard into the wall beside her, she quietly berated, "Oh, really? Do we now? Are you going to put in your resignation? Pass me off to someone else now?"

His solemn expression turned to one of confusion. "Wait, what?"

"You made it pretty obvious the other day that I annoy you, Lon'qu. Now, go ahead and just do it already. I'm going to eat something. I'm going to pass out if I don't eat," she said. Lissa started to walk around him, wondering if she could clip him with her shoulder as she did, or if that would be too obvious.

He moved back in front of her. "What are you talking about?" Lon'qu asked. Lissa attempted to move around him again, but the tall, stupid man held an arm out, blocking her. "You could explain that instead of walking away, woman."

"'Quit pestering me,'" she quoted, glowering at him. "Isn't that what you said to me? So this is me not pestering you. Let me into the kitchen. I'm not joking about the fainting bit."

He stepped aside. "Fine, but we need to talk."

"If I'm so annoying, why do you want to talk to me?" Lissa asked, aggravated.

"When did I say that? Lon'qu questioned. His voice was so calm; how could he be so levelheaded? Lissa felt ready to knock a hole in the wall.

"You…" she racked her brain, coming up empty. "You didn't. Not that exact word, no. But what happened there two days ago? Your sword broke, and I…" Lissa trailed off, shoving her shoulder harder into the wall. The lance was in her face again. There was the tip. Instead of hungry, she felt nauseous. "I almost died," she finished as her voice died to the tiniest whisper.

Lon'qu was quiet. She looked up, and deep guilt, accompanied by that strange pain, lined his features. "Lon'qu," Lissa said, in an attempt to grab his attention. He didn't look at her; her chest constricted. "What's hurting you?"

"...I will tell you. But you need to eat," he said, his eyes closed. "Go into the kitchen."

Lissa obliged. The kitchen was almost devoid of human presence, for it was just past the lunch time cleanup. She grabbed a roll, slathered it in butter, and snagged a mug and filled it to the brim with water. Emerging from the kitchen, she watched Lon'qu, eyes closed and his back resting against the wall. There were dark circles under his eyes; something had kept him from sleeping during these past two days, much like Lissa's sleep was pervaded by a lance in her face and harsh voices in her ears. "Lon'qu," she whispered. He opened his eyes to Lissa standing there and watching him with a sense of anxiousness. "Let's...go to my room. No one bothers me there. Ever."

Once there, Lissa settled on her bed. The roll smelled so sweet; it was still just a touch warm, and the butter had melted into the crevices. She took a huge bite and swallowed it before remembering Lon'qu was there with her. _Stupid hunger brain,_ she thought sheepishly. Lon'qu stood awkwardly, avoiding either the bed that had been set up for him or any other comfortable horizontal surface. "You can sit down, you know."

"I wondered if you would even let me," he admitted.

Lissa rolled her eyes. "Just because I'm mad doesn't mean you can't sit down. Park it, buddy."

He did as he was told, sitting on the very extreme edge of Lissa's bed, as though he was a scolded schoolchild in for a bereavement from the headmaster. Lissa sighed. "You don't have to be uncomfortable. Just...scoot up a little more."

Lon'qu scooted a fraction of an inch toward Lissa. _I give up,_ Lissa thought with a sigh. She jammed the rest of the roll in her mouth—a la chipmunk or squirrel—and quickly finished it, swallowing and regretting the tight feeling in her throat from eating bread too rapidly. After drinking to eradicate the feeling, she angled herself toward Lon'qu. "Now that I won't pass out and dash my head open on anything, would you like to tell me what's hurting? Especially if it's something you've gone two days without letting a healer look at," she added, a hint of threat in her voice.

"It isn't a physical wound. I promise you that," Lon'qu said, his words slow and reluctant.

"Well, good. If you ever pull that on me I'd give you a new wound to match whatever you were hiding," she said. The words didn't draw a smile from Lon'qu, and she sighed. "Lon'qu, what is it that's bothering you? You can tell me. I might talk up a storm, but I don't share other people's secrets."

"I gathered that," Lon'qu responded. Lissa smiled a little at this. Bracing her palms on her knees, she looked at him expectantly. He glanced at her with a sigh. "Woman, what do you expect from me? I already broke in here to see you."

"You what?"

"The boy guarding the door to the kitchen said he had to 'check with captain Phila' and then never returned. He left the door unlocked, and I waited for him to come back. He did not. So I entered," Lon'qu remarked, his voice humorless.

Lissa snorted. "You're a regular deviant, Lon'qu. Such a troublemaker." Realizing that he may have been trying to distract her, she returned to a more serious expression. "Come on, Lon'qu. Enough of the mental gymnastics. What's going on here?"

He seemed conflicted. Lissa waited, albeit with some impatience, for him to speak. He gazed at his hands—those broad, strong hands that Lissa loved—and sighed. "My childhood friend is dead because of me."

* * *

He hated that look on Lissa's face. That shock that dissolved into sympathy. Lon'qu didn't desire her sympathy...or anyone else's for that matter. "Lon'qu, what do you mean?" she asked. Her knuckles were white as she clutched the mug in her hands.

It was hard enough, saying that. To even mention Ke'ri...her name shouldn't have even passed his lips. But here, in the quiet seclusion of Lissa's bedroom, it was easier to speak of. He'd mentioned her once, to Vaike, telling him about a friend he'd tussled with in the streets of Chon'sin's slums. Now, for some reason, words began spilling from his mouth. "My best friend when I was growing up was a girl named Ke'ri. Our families were dirt poor. It was common knowledge that we lived in the bad part of town. Whenever we could, we'd leave the city and catch bugs, wrestle, and complain about our parents. We did this past an age most children would."

Lissa was enraptured, gazing at him with huge eyes. Ke'ri used to do the same thing, draw her knees under her chin and listen to his stories—at the time, stories filled with grandeur and childhood falsehoods—with serious eyes. Lon'qu, realizing he was too far into his story to stop now, continued. "We would have been around the age of twelve. We took a picnic outside of the city limits. I remember how proud we were, stealing extra food from our parents without their noticing. That was so short-lived."

"What happened?" Lissa asked, her voice tiny.

"There were thugs. Violent, awful men. They attacked us. Ke'ri was always so much braver and stronger. She took them on with the knife she brought to cut bread and slice the pear she brought," he said. His voice hitched in this throat. There was no way in hell that he would cry, not in front of Lissa. _This wound is so old; it would be embarrassing._ He took a deep breath before he continued. "I was frozen for what felt like hours I was afraid. I couldn't move. They were cutting her. Hurting her. By the time I came around and tried to help, it was too late. Nothing I did would save her. She told me to run. And I did. If I had moved as quickly as she had, we might have both made it," he finished.

The room was oppressively silent. Lon'qu hunched over, his elbows digging into his thighs. As he did every day since the one he lost his friend, he thought, _I am so sorry, Ke'ri._

Lissa gazed at him over her knees. "You froze that night because you felt helpless."

"Yes," he managed to say.

"It's…" she trailed off. Unfolding herself from her cramped little position she scooted closer to him. "It's a very old wound. I don't think my staff can help that one."

"Probably not," Lon'qu said very quietly.

They sat silently for a while. Lon'qu was grateful for it. He didn't want her sympathy, and she knew that. She read people so very well; if only he would just stop pushing her away. Minutes passed, and Lissa broke the silence with a sigh. "Is that why you fear women?" she asked.

"That is the root of it," he admitted.

Lissa gazed at him. The corner of her mouth twitched oddly before she said, "If it had been some nasty, evil woman, that would've made this a lot easier. I could've thrown an axe _really_ badly at her to make her atone for her sins."

Lon'qu's mouth quirked, in spite of the foul feelings swirling inside of him, and Lissa laughed. He turned and watched her face. Her face was so kind, always so very kind. Even when she was angry or scared, her features still glowed with that undercurrent of kindness. "Thank you," he said, interrupting her laughter. "And I'm sorry. For snapping at you," he added.

"So I'm not annoying, then?" she asked, nudging him with her elbow.

"Only if you are very obviously choosing to be," he responded sincerely.

Lissa chuckled and reclined, closing her eyes. A sunbeam poured through the window, making her pale blonde hair glow nearly white. "That...is really a load off of my mind. I thought you were just really sick of me or something. Glad to know you're not," she remarked.

The sun really had a lulling effect. Though he felt swamped by negative emotion yet, he felt his eyes droop. _Exhausted,_ he decided. Tentatively, he closed his eyes against the sun, almost already feeling drawn in by the prospect of sleep. "Hey," Lissa murmured, causing him to open an eye to look at her. "Lay down. You look beat. You've been carrying a lot for a long time, so sleep now."

He didn't have it in himself to argue. The myrmidon flopped onto his side on the bed, not even bothering to remove his sword belt or anything else. Sleep was quickly dragging him under—how easy it was, when Lissa was around! How easy it was to relax. He wondered when it had happened, when his fear of women had given way to how much he simply appreciated _her._ Lon'qu decided, just as sleep overtook him, that he wouldn't allow what happened to Ke'ri to happen to her. Not again. Never again. _No one is going to harm her ever, as long as I'm here,_ was his last coherent thought that drifted through his brain.

That nap would be the first one—in a long time—that he did not dream of Ke'ri.

* * *

Emmeryn hadn't seen her sister for most of the afternoon. Walking through the streets of Ylisstol certainly had carved a large chunk of time out of Emmeryn's afternoon, but Lissa hadn't approached her at all, like she had yesterday or the night after the assassination attempt. "I do hope she's alright," she mentioned to Phila, as she gazed at the sprawl of Ylisstol from the top of the wall surrounding the castle. "I really doubt that she has slept or eaten much since that attack. She was working night and day to keep her patients from bleeding out."

"Perhaps she's catching up on sleep, then. All five of your staff members with severe injuries are no longer so touch and go. Lady Maribelle told me that the few who had been cut open will likely be healthy enough to return to light work within a few weeks," Phila remarked. "However, I do hope Lissa joins you for dinner tonight, though. Nourishment is as important as a good night's rest, if not more so."

Emmeryn chuckled lightly, although her heart felt black with the pain of those who had given up their health and safety to protect her. "Bless her. Should something ever happen to Chrom and me, she would be an excellent Exalt."

"Now, Milady, that may be a bit of a stretch—" Phila started, but Emmeryn cut her off with a wave of her hand.

With a gentle smile, she turned to Phila. "I have to think about these things, about what is best for our people. Lissa has a good heart, and she is so very tireless. With the help of advisors, she would do a splendid job as Exalt."

Phila shrugged noncommittally. "If you say so, my lady."

The sound of feet pounding up the stone stairs brought Emmeryn and Phila's attention to a scrawny guard—he was no older than sixteen, with one arm tucked awkwardly to his side and the other arm cradling a throwing axe. "Captain Phila! I forgot to ask, but is that bloke from Chon'sin who works for Regna Ferox but currently works for us allowed in the castle?" he asked. "I meant to ask hours ago, but Frederick thought I was idling about when I was looking for you and made me go see a healer for my arm."

Phila seemed to stagger under the information. "Excuse me? Would you be talking about Lon'qu, Lissa's personal guard?"she asked slowly.

"Oh! See? I meant to ask about that, but Frederick sent me straight to that scary Maribelle girl so she could repair my arm. It's been itching like _crazy_ since," he said, holding it up as if to show his skin crawling from the healing. "So, he's good, right?"

Phila nodded slowly. "Yes. Lon'qu is allowed in here."

"I'll go tell him—wait a minute! He's probably been waiting out there for hours for me to let him in so he could go talk to Princess Lissa! I'm sorry, Mr. Lonky You! " the boy took off.

Emmeryn glanced to Phila. "You will never hear me say this again, Phila, so I hope you remember it well," Emmeryn started. With a deep sigh, she simply said, "What the hell."

Phila's cheeks turned pink. "He is not my charge. I don't know what the head of the guard was thinking when he hired that boy. I am so very sorry."

"I really do hope that Mr. 'Lonky You' found Lissa, then," Emmeryn remarked, clapping a hand over her mouth to stifle the giggles.

Phila couldn't help but snort herself. "I hope so as well," she remarked with a laugh.

* * *

 _A/N: Hello. I've decided to front-load this story before my semester gets out of hand. After getting the syllabi for a few more classes today...well...I'd rather work on this while I still have time (and inspiration), since the honey-moon phase lasts at least another week and a half lol._

 _The young, stupid guard is based pretty hardcore off of one of my older brothers and my little brother. I hope the Mars brother-inspired comic relief was enough to lighten up this chapter! There are some heavier themes being explored, so I thought this character would be necessary._

 _Lon'qu being kind of awkward honestly is my favorite thing to write. This is my first time writing for Fire Emblem, as I had mentioned, and I really REALLY enjoy writing awkward Lon'qu. Especially when he feels "irritated"._

 _Lissa had her awkward "Do I bump into them and pretend it was an accident but really I'm just being a jerk?" moment this chapter. Lon'qu is totally rubbing off on her now. That's it. They have to get married and have a kid with a twitchy sword hand that everyone kind of half-bullies and adores in their heart of hearts. #ShowOwainRespect2k16_

 _Now, logistics/stupid personal Fire Emblem feelings._

 _I'm thinking now that this will be 10ish chapters long. I'm no longer giving absolutes. I'm so capricious. Someone stop me already._

 _Also...please don't hurt me...but I don't really like Chrom that much. He's kind of a boring character. He's kind of a Gary Stu (Poppy, if you're out there and reading this, I'm sorry for using you word). You know. Like a Mary Sue. I remember Lucina saying something about how he was acting kind of arrogant at Arena Ferox, but really? He has personality other than perfect pretty prince boy? Lolllllllllllll. Sorry. Rant over. I'm trash. OKAY NO IT'S NOT YOU KNOW WHAT BOTHERS ME? HE REFERS TO HIS WIFE AS "FRIEND". LIKE HE'LL SAY "THANKS FRIEND". EXCUSE YOU THAT IS THE WOMAN WHO BORE/WILL BEAR YOU CHILDREN SHE IS MORE THAN A FRIEND, MR. CHROMBONE. PLEASE PM ME IF YOU UNDERSTAND MY FEELS, OR WOULD ALSO LIKE TO HEAR MORE SHITTY HEADCANONS BECAUSE I HAVE A BOATLOAD._

 _Also I am not really a supporter of Chrobin. I always marry someone different, and the one time I was married off to Chrom when I tried to marry Lon'qu was heartbreaking for me. Also...Lucina/Gerome. Not Lucina/Inigo. Lucina is too good for him I'm so sorry._

 _I'm gonna sign off here. Review, PM me if you'd like to hear my shitpost versions of Chrom headcanons, and favorite this story maybe if you really are enjoying it. Goodnight, friends!_


	7. Chapter 7

**Fun fact: I'm writing this for fun! Isn't that fun? I think it's fun.**

* * *

For the first time in a few days, Lissa ate dinner with her family, also accompanied by Robin and Frederick. Lon'qu had declined dinner when they were called to it, opting to return to sleep. Lissa managed a tiny smile, as she sat at a dinner table at which she so very rarely had the opportunity anymore, thinking about how _adorable_ Lon'qu as when he was sleepy. He was still brusque, but there was less of an edge to him.

"Are you sure that you don't want to come?" she had offered one last time after a quick rap on the door as a wakeup call, wiping sleep from her eyes and giggling as Lon'qu rolled over onto his stomach.

Barely awake, he shook his head. "No."

"Do you want a blanket or something?" Lissa had offered.

He shook his head, but Lissa grabbed one off of his bed and set it next to him where he lay, at the foot of her bed. "If you need it, it's right there, all right? I'm going to go eat dinner with my family now." She left and glanced over her shoulder as the door swung shut behind her, watching with a mixture of pride and amusement as he grabbed at the blanket.

If only she could be proud of her ability to wake up after a nap in the middle of the afternoon! Sleeping in the middle of the day disrupted her system; she felt groggy and out of touch as she dug through her potatoes. _How do naps help anyone?_ she thought, fumbling with her silverware. _I feel like I'm in the middle of a fever dream, and somehow I think I'm sleepier than before I took a nap. Perhaps no more naps at midday, huh?_

Sluggishly, Lissa looked at her siblings, sitting just to the left of her. Emmeryn and Chrom were talking about...something. Lissa had trouble focusing on their conversation, while Robin and Frederick seemed to also be moving their lips and making noise. Lissa groaned and focused on her food.

A question cut across her haze. "Lissa, you seem to be out of sorts, perhaps. Are you well?" Slowly, Lissa looked up at Emmeryn, who gazed at her with concern in her eyes.

Lissa sighed. "I slept in the middle of the day. Bad idea."

Emmeryn smiled. "It was well-earned, though! None of your patients have died. You are so very talented and diligent as a healer," she complimented her sister. Lissa flushed with pride and managed a lopsided grin in return.

Robin reached across the table and tapped Lissa's hand. Startled, Lissa turned to the tactician, who had a rather conspiratory smirk plastered on her face. Folding her arms across her chest, Robin slowly remarked, "She's diligent in some other regards, too." Lissa glanced at her, frowning.

"That is true. She helps me clean armor and swords frequently," Frederick chimed in, and then quietly added, "Whenever she isn't talking my ear off about camp gossip, of course."

"You enjoy that!" Lissa rebuked him, gasping melodramatically.

Emmeryn pressed her hand to her lips to hide a smile. "Does she now? I never would have guessed!"

"You're quite lucky you don't have to put up with it every single day," Chrom said under his breath, which earned him a quick whack on the arm from Lissa.

Robin cleared her throat loudly, drawing the attention back to her. "It is true that she is diligent in that. And chatty. But...I feel that she is far more diligent in a different regard."

"Spit it out already," Lissa muttered, her face bright red. "I don't like it when you all talk about me like this. Compliments are kind of scary for me, you know."

Robin sighed. "Right. Sorry. What I mean is that I think she has made Lon'qu less fearful of women. I didn't think it was possible, but he seems comfortable with you. Or, as comfortable as he is going to get in Ylisse and surrounded by women," she added, hastily twirling a pigtail around her finger.

"Lissa, is this a burgeoning romance I should know about?" Emmeryn asked conspiratorially, knowing full well what Lissa was feeling.

"No! It's not like that," Lissa commented, her face and neck hot. She had to be as red as Sully's hair at this point. Oh, she had to get Robin—and Emmeryn, for that matter— back good later! Not to mention she was obviously in the midst of protesting too much, and now everyone likely had an idea of her feelings. "We were just talking, and we dozed off. He's probably still sleeping, too," she added with a huff.

"Talking, though," Chrom remarked. "I remember him lashing out at you when you attempted to introduce yourselves to him in Regna Ferox."

"Okay, okay, yes, he talks to me. I'm not exactly that threatening when you get to know me. Or at all really," she remarked. She clasped her hands in her lap and sighed. Her brain was flustered and silly; how could she continue speaking without revealing her feelings? "I'll bet if he had to spend a bunch of time with someone else, he'd feel comfortable with them, too."

"I suppose so. It's a marked change in his behavior, nonetheless, and I'm glad to see it," Robin said with an air of finality. "Prior to this arrangement, I felt that he really only spoke with Vaike. Now he talks to you, too, and you're a woman, on top of all that."

Lissa puffed her cheeks out for a second before remarking, "I sure hope he's comfortable with me. Otherwise that cute idiot has probably been screaming internally for the past however many weeks." _Lissa, you can't call him cute in front of your family and close friends! What are you doing?_ She screamed internally.

During this conversation, Chrom seemed noticeably uncomfortable, shifting in his seat. Lissa paid it little heed; he _was_ an older brother, after all, and talk of his younger sister potentially loving some "big scary Feroxi warrior" likely wasn't sitting well with him. Robin noticed as well. Leaning across the table to squint at Chrom, she asked, "Chrom, are you alright? You've been shuffling around an awful lot, looking vaguely nauseated."

He swallowed hard and nodded. "I'm well. Don't worry about me." As he said this, he stood and brushed crumbs from his clothing. "It was great to eat dinner with you, Emmeryn."

After he left, Frederick cleared his throat, dabbing at the corners of his mouth with a napkin. "I, too, should leave, Milady. I have duties to attend to in the barracks. Thank you for having me," he said, nodding to both Robin and Lissa before exiting.

A brief moment of silence followed, in which Emmeryn, Robin, and Lissa exchanged glances. Slowly, Lissa, with a goofy half-smile, questioned, "Was it something I said?" Robin and Emmeryn burst out laughing.

"Personally, being at a good spot to see Chrom's facial expression, he was done the minute you called Lon'qu a 'cute idiot'," Robin said, stabbing a roast potato with her fork. "Doesn't like that you're growing up, I guess. Neither does Frederick, I suppose."

"Chrom has never been comfortable with her feelings about boys, as any good brother would be," Emmeryn remarked with a light chuckle.

Robin sighed, looking at the empty seats where Chrom and Frederick had been sitting. "Regardless, I wonder what he's up to."

Lissa shrugged. She wondered what Chrom was up to as well. With all that talk about Lon'qu, Lissa hoped that he wasn't about to go track down her bodyguard and have a chat with him. The thought was cringe-worthy and made her nose rumple up in disgust, but as Robin started to tell Emmeryn a story revolving around Frederick's aversion to bear meat, Lissa tossed the thought aside. She doubted that his reason for leaving had anything to do with talking to Lon'qu. Aside from Vaike and Lissa, very few sought out Lon'qu for conversation.

She convinced herself that there was no need to feel anxious and returned to the conversation with two women who were important to her. No need to always worry about boys, right?

* * *

Lon'qu woke to knocking on the door again. _I would like to sleep in peace,_ he thought sleepily, staring at the canopy above him with a burning vengeance. He vaguely remembered Lissa bringing him the blanket before he left. The thought of her care set a curl of warmth crawling through his body. He gathered said blanket over his shoulders and stumped over to the door, like a bear that had just come out of hibernation.

He opened it, and none other than Captain Chrom stood there, his expression awkward as he regarded Lon'qu, wrapped in one of Lissa's blankets. "Hey, Lon'qu. Do you have a minute?"

"I think I am supposed to say yes, even if I don't," Lon'qu responded, doing his best to not rub at his sleep-heavy eyes like a petulant child.

"Glad to see you're working hard," Chrom remarked with a hint of amusement, nodding to Lon'qu's blanket and sleep-lined expression.

Clutching it a little more loosely about himself, Lon'qu frowned. "What do you need, Chrom?"

Chrom glanced up and down the hallway. With a sigh, he met Lon'qu's gaze with pale blue eyes. "So...I kind of just wanted to thank you, again, for guarding my sister, even if it doesn't seem like anything is immediately coming out of it. After what happened with Emmeryn just a few nights ago, it makes me rest a little easier, knowing that someone I trust is looking after my little sister."

"Don't you make a point of trusting everyone?" Lon'qu asked, shifting his weight. He desired crawling back into bed; why he had decided to debate the finer point of Chrom's willingness to trust others, he was uncertain.

Chrom leaned against the wall opposite the door. His expression oozed grimness, especially as he replied, "I do. Trusting Robin has turned out wonderfully, and trusting all of you has worked out thus far." He paused in his speech and rubbed absentmindedly at the mark on his arm. "When it comes to the safety of my sisters, I can't hold the same principles. My mother and father are dead. I can't lose my sisters, too. I haven't slept since the assassination attempt on Emmeryn," he confessed.

Lon'qu was uncomfortable with Chrom's admission of personal details. _I, for one, would like to get back to sleep,_ he wanted to say, but he instead simply nodded and said, "I understand." _If you understood my body language, you would understand that I'm attempting to sleep, Captain Chrom._

He started to back up, back toward that hypnotizingly warm, comfortable bed, but Chrom stopped in in his tracks with a simple question. "Do you like Lissa?"

Lon'qu narrowed his eyes in an attempt to appear nonchalant; why was Chrom asking this? What did he know? Who told him what? In fact, who even _knew_ enough to tell Chrom anything? Although he attempted to be cool and relaxed, his response ended up sounding anything _but_ casual. "Ha...well...a great many people like her," he responded. _Really? That's supposed to throw attention off of me?_

"That really isn't an answer to what I asked, just so you know" Chrom remarked, head cocked like a confused dog.

Huffing a sigh, Lon'qu scratched at his jaw. "Your sister has a good heart."

Chrom peeled away from the wall. He rubbed at the side of his head; it drew attention to his obvious exhaustion. It had never occurred to Lon'qu, until he started guarding Lissa, that Chrom was anything but the fearless leader of the shepherds with the occasional awkward moment. "I'll take that as a yes. Look, I can't stop whatever it is that's happening between you—"

"Absolutely nothing. At all," Lon'qu blurted. He had the feeling that he was blushing, on top of it. In front of Chrom, no less!

Chrom looked at him, his expression a little too knowing for Lon'qu's tastes, and he simply finished his point with, "All I'm asking is that you keep protecting her. She's my sister. If you care about her even half the amount I do, what happened with Emmeryn probably scares the same way it scares me."

Lon'qu gazed at him. What had inspired Chrom to come have this conversation with him, anyway? "I was asked to guard her, so I will keep guarding her."

With a groan, Chrom ordered, "Cut that out."

"Cut what out?"

"Apparently it's obvious that you really care about Lissa, so enough with the impersonal statements," Chrom retorted, likely resisting the urge to roll his eyes. "So...yeah. I think that's what I meant to come talk to you about. Uh, back to whatever it was that you're doing." Chrom disappeared, walking away very quickly.

Lon'qu stood there for a moment, frowning. Was absolutely every member of the shepherds consistently this awkward? He shut the door, his face hot. What concerned him more was that people were beginning to _tell_ that he felt something.

He threw himself down on his bed this time, cocooned in his blanket. It was only a problem if other women started throwing themselves at him, right? Curled in this spot on his bed, Lon'qu wondered when Lissa would get back. He wanted to bring up the conversation he had just had with her brother—rather, Chrom bothering him while he was sleeping, as opposed to the content. He reasoned that it was strange, not being by her side constantly; whenever Lissa returned from dinner, he half-hoped she would talk his ear off. Impatience reared its ugly head. If he had known at the start of his job of guarding Lissa that he would wait somewhat anxiously for her after a family dinner, he would have laughed the thought off. _Figures,_ Lon'qu thought with a huff.

He sat up, a thought occurring to him. Wasn't he her guard? Lon'qu could easily go seek her out; after all, it was his duty to make sure that she was safe from all potential threats. That was what Chrom had tasked him with, right? He balled up the blanket and tossed it aside. It was time to find Lissa.

* * *

"Lissa, may we talk for a moment?"

Lissa, who had been standing in the entrance to the garden struggling to free her hair from its pigtails, turned to see Emmeryn standing behind her. In the light of the sunset she looked ethereal, her skin and hair glowing as though she was smoldering within. "Of course we can talk for a moment. We can talk for more than a moment, if you want," Lissa remarked, grimacing as she finally freed her hair from one pigtail. "Gods, this is always such a struggle."

Emmeryn smiled and closed the distance between them, gently easing her hair out of her other pigtail. Lissa missed these motherly gestures of Emmeryn's; now that she was always working with the shepherds, it was rare to have someone show her that sort of care. "There you go," Emmeryn said as she freed her hair, handing Lissa the tie.

She shoved them in the pocket of her apron, thanking Emmeryn. The Exalt stood by Lissa, gazing upon the verdant gardens. "Lissa, tomorrow there is going to be a war conference to figure out our next move in this conflict," Emmeryn said, her voice heavy. "I fear things may be changing."

Lissa's stomach clenched upon hearing Emmeryn's tone. "What do you mean?" she asked, her voice quiet.

"While you were healing my staff earlier today, Chrom and I had a little...chat," Emmeryn decided on, her brow furrowing. "I have decided that, whatever our next step shall be, I will be not be present for it."

"That seems...innocuous? You aren't a member of the shepherds" Lissa remarked, frowning and wondering if she used to right word. Before Emmeryn could correct her if she was wrong, she asked, "But there's more to it than that, isn't there?"

Emmeryn sighed, pulling her robes more tightly about herself; her expression made her seem ancient. "Tomorrow, we're officially going to make the decision to leave for the secret eastern palace. The one that smells just a touch...erm...funky, to use your word," Emmeryn added, her lips twitching with a faint smile. "I will be staying there, and the shepherds will continue the march north, to go Regna Ferox for reinforcements."

Lissa was silent. A deceptively gentle, warm breeze flowed through the air, reminding her of the bitter cold she would soon be facing in Regna Ferox. It also accentuated the obvious defeat Emmeryn was facing. _I cannot leave my people,_ she had always said in times of trouble. _They look to me for strength, much as I draw strength from their faith in me._ Intel—or lack thereof—must have overwhelmingly pointed to the danger of staying in Ylisstol, if Emmeryn had been persuaded to leave. She had been unwavering over the past few days, even though men with weapons and tomes had been bearing down on her front door.

"I know what you must be thinking, that I've compromised my principles," Emmeryn said, her voice pained. "I am so very sorry, Lissa."

Lissa shook her head vehemently. "I was thinking that this has to be some kind of last resort or whatever. I can't blame you. Our home was _invaded_ and people wanted to _kill_ you _,_ " Lissa said, pounding her fist into her open hand to emphasize certain words.

Emmeryn shot a grateful glance at her sister,weakly smiling as she wrapped herself further into her robes. "It really is. It is never ideal for a leader to leave her city," she said, now fiddling with a curl. She suddenly seemed young, uncertain. Lissa had never seen her like this. "It is quite obvious that Plegia wants me dead, and they will stop at nothing to achieve this. A living ruler who isn't present would be far better than one who is dead at the end of the day."

Unable to watch her sister's torment for any longer, Lissa threw herself at Emmeryn and hugged her tightly. Emmeryn staggered, but she quickly wrapped her arms around her sister, laying her cheek on top of Lissa's head like a mother with her child. "I love you," Lissa whispered, "and I think you're the strongest person I know, and I know a lot of people."

Emmeryn chuckled, tightening her hold on Lissa. "I love you too, little one. Thank you."

Lissa, with her head resting on Emmeryn's chest, felt a strange, hollow feeling consume her. _Why does this feel like a goodbye? She isn't leaving until tomorrow, and it's only temporary,_ Lissa thought. _Come on now, Lissa. With some help from Regna Ferox, we can fix this mess in weeks._ She shook the feeling aside and released her sister, beaming up at Emmeryn in only the way that Lissa could. "Chrom, the shepherds, and I will make this right! So, uh, quit worrying...and stuff!" she ordered, albeit awkwardly. Even Chrom would've managed to make that statement less uncomfortable-sounding. "You'll be back home before you know it."

With a light laugh, Emmeryn leaned against the door frame and gazed out at the setting sun, which was slowly disappearing behind the castle walls. "Thank you, Lissa. I could use more of these little talks, I believe," Emmeryn remarked. "Our brother can be very pragmatic, as can Phila."

"Hey now, if you're calling me fanciful—" Lissa warned, waving a fist, but Emmeryn simply laughed.

She looked over at Lissa with light-colored eyes half-hooded against the bright sun. "Hardly. I appreciate your way of thinking."

Before Lissa could respond, she heard a quiet cough behind her. Lissa turned to see Lon'qu standing toward the back of the hallway, looking a bit awkward. "Oh, hi, Lon'qu!" she greeted with a bright smile. "Nice of you to join the living."

"I was asleep, not dead, woman," he remarked, a nervous edge in his voice in the presence of Emmeryn. He seemed fidgety, as though something heavy was on his mind.

Lissa rolled her eyes. "Such a literalist, Mr. Lon'qu."

Emmeryn gave a polite nod to Lon'qu. "Hello, Lon'qu. Did you need to speak with Lissa about something?" she asked gently. She shot a secretive, goofy little glance to Lissa, which she returned with a frown.

He nodded, just a little too fast. "Yes. Please."

"Well, I do apologize for monopolizing my sister, then," Emmeryn said. As she started to walk away, she met Lissa's gaze with a kind smile. "Once again, Lissa, thank you."

"Ah, well, it was nothing, no worries," Lissa remarked with a self-conscious peal of laughter.

After Emmeryn had moved a ways down the hall, Lon'qu took her former spot, leaning in the doorway. "Well, hello to you. You seem a bit antsy," Lissa remarked. His arms were folded and his body was still, but his fingers were drumming on his limbs. It betrayed, well, whatever he was feeling. "What's on your dark and mysterious mind?"

He shrugged. Lissa rubbed at her forehead and reworded her question. "Obviously, something's bugging you. Mind 'fessing up?" she said. "You can trust me."

"Does your brother always bother people while they're trying to sleep?" Lon'qu asked.

Lissa sighed heavily, ending it by blowing a raspberry. "Gods. Chrom bothered you while you were sleeping? Where are his manners? Was it even about something important, like the war council tomorrow, or steak night with the shepherds, or what?" she demanded, feeling a bit heated by her brother's intrusion. "I mean, he has bad timing. I think he walked in on Robin bathing once. She was talking about learning dark magic to hex him and everything. Everyone kept joking that 'well now they have to get married' and 'look at that burgeoning romance', but, uh, I think it takes a little more than seeing someone naked to get married, you know?"

The corner of Lon'qu's mouth twitched at Lissa's anecdote. He simply responded, "I see that isn't unusual for him. I feel slightly less violated."

"It isn't. If he wasn't Mr. Perfect ninety percent of the time I'd think he planned these sorts of things," she remarked with a heavy sigh. They stood silently for a minute, basking in the last rays of sun that they would encounter in this location, before Lissa realized something with a jolt. "Wait...how long ago was this?" she asked, turning to him with wide eyes. _He better not have mentioned anything that was said at dinner!_ Lissa thought anxiously.

"Within the past half an hour," Lon'qu replied.

Trying to keep the nervous edge from perforating her voice, she slowly asked, "What...what did you two happen to chat about?" Before he had a chance to answer, she said, more to herself, "Oh, I'm sure it was about manly things. Like...smelling sweaty and excessive body hair."

Lon'qu frowned at her. "What was that last bit?"

"Nothing!" Lissa almost shouted, forcing a laugh. Lon'qu looked at her as though she had sprouted another pair of arms and each arm was wildly gesticulating. Forcing herself to breathe, Lissa looked to Lon'qu with a smile. "Anyway, what was it that you and my dear brother had a nice little chat about?"

His face turned red, but his voice was steady as he said, "He was checking in with me and seeing how I was doing."

Lissa immediately knew that Chrom had brought up something akin to what had been talked about at dinner. She fiddled with her tousled strands of hair before huffing a quiet sigh. "And how are you doing?" Lissa asked.

"I was well until I was, uh, stirred," Lon'qu responded, avoiding her gaze.

They stood, gazing out over the gardens. Lissa felt her heart rate slowing down and her face cooling off. She closed her eyes, the insides of her eyelids painted with the colors of flames. "You slept a long time. Will you be able to sleep tonight?" she asked, attempting to keep the conversation light and avoid the obvious tension.

"Easily," he responded.

Lissa opened her eyes and looked over to him; he was gazing steadily at her, dark eyes unreadable. She blushed and turned away. His gaze was too steady, too open, fringed by thick, dark lashes. It was so difficult, to look at this earnest, beautiful and dedicated man in the tawny light of sundown and not feel a sense of longing he wouldn't return. She opened her mouth, her lips forming a question, but it died before she could muster the courage to ask it. Instead, after a long, tense moment that felt like a thousand, she said, "Uh, same, I think."

Turning back toward the inside of the castle, she decided it was time to do something that did not involve being alone with Lon'qu. Lissa asked, "Would you mind coming with me? I want to check in on my patients. I can't do any more healing for them today, but I want make sure that they're well and comfortable."

The last rays of the sun disappeared behind the castle wall; between her question and the natural occurrence, the moment was broken. Lissa wanted to huff a sigh of relief. After a moment, Lon'qu gave a nod of consent. "Yes."

"Just warning you, one of my patients lost a limb and the stump looks weird in mid-healing process, and you can stand outside if you get uncomfortable," she said, words tumbling from her mouth far too fast. "I mean, it's not for everyone. In some ways, I think one has to have a stronger constitution in order to heal than one needs in order to go fight a battle. A lot of warriors can deal the damage and slice people up left and right, but then they don't like looking at the damage—"

He looked down at her rather sternly, silencing her rambling. "I will be fine. Quit worrying about me."

Lissa laughed nervously. "Yeah, I'll shut up now."

"Keep talking. Just don't worry about me so much," he responded, looking straight ahead as he walked.

She couldn't help but smile at his request. "Uh, right. No problem!" she added cheerily. "I've got a story for you. It's kinda gross, though."

Lon'qu nodded, obviously intrigued by her qualification. "Yes?"

Unable to help herself between the story she was about to tell and her pleasure at Lon'qu asking her to continue chatting, Lissa giggled a bit before starting, "So, earlier today, Maribelle was caring for one of her patients, and he lost a leg and she was changing his bandages…"

* * *

 _Hey there. Just a cute lil chapter before...things go to hell. Ha. Ha ha. Guys I'm putting off the shit that happens with Emmeryn. I just can't bring myself to do it to her, you know? I really love her. She's an interesting character with lots of interpretations._

 _I had a few interesting PMs and a pair of anonymous reviews that kind of threw me off. I guess a lot of people don't like my interpretations of the characters involved in this story. Normally, I don't delete/moderate anonymous reviews normally, but I did that with one of them because it was just so negative, especially towards the readership of this story. I don't want to sound like a 13 year old here, but honestly. If you don't like the story, don't read it. Don't harass the author or the people who read it. I'm doing this for fun, not for someone to come and nitpick every little detail; one really needs ways to relax and unwind in college._ _I'd also like to address Chrom and a few issues people have with my interpretation of him. Honestly, in the context of the game, Chrom is incredibly boring. He's a Gary Stu with awkward dad moments and he seems to pull more than a few Michael Kelso "WHOOPS SORRY!" (That 70's Show, if you will) moments. He says things in this fic are out of character, especially concerning trust, because I don't want him to be as boring as he can be in game. This is a guy who has lost his family and really only has his sisters and a potentially dark future waiting for him; if he says something like "I don't trust anyone with my sisters" it's because his trusting nature can only go so far. You bet your ass he'd go momma bear mode when his sisters are threatened. He's not naive, guys. C'mon._

 _Enough ranting. The positive. helpful reviews and PMs that I've received really outweigh the nitpicking and, well, negativity that I've received from some. I'm really thankful for everyone who compliments my work, or sends me something helpful, like "This passage was awkward; here's what you could do to improve" or "This bit of dialogue felt forced, and here are a few things that could've helped it." I love stuff like that. It's so helpful, and I can continue improving the quality of my writing when people do this. So thank you to you guys who do that!_

 _So..._

 _I'm so pumped for Fates. I haven't spent money in two months so that I can safely spend money on Fates when it's finally released in the US. College means being broke af in this country, guys. Hahaha. *Cries* I've avoided spoilers and everything for so long, and this game will actually be a totally new, surprising experience for me. I really can't wait!_

 _Also, I just declared my major today, and I'm so excited! I'm walking on air. Onward to changing lives and saving the world!_

 _I hope everyone has been doing well since the last update! I can't guarantee speedy updates anymore, but I'll aim to update again before Valentine's Day...with, well, the dreaded Emmeryn chapter(s). Thanks for reading, and I hope you're all well until I update again._

 _~Mars_


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: I am back, still wearing black, and probably not on track.**

* * *

Lissa felt as though she was watching her life through a strange, distorted lens that cast her life in hypnotic colors. The night before leaving Ylisstol for the eastern palace, Lissa had helped her sister pack her belongings; scraps of silk, wool, and linens flashed by her, in impossibly bright colors and soft pastels. Her name had consistently been on the tip of Lissa's tongue, as she handed belongings to the maids, who were packing them away with a certain solemnity.

Everyone knew that _something_ was coming to an end—but what? This was the first time that Emmeryn had left Ylisstol for safety reasons; yes, she had gone for diplomatic reasons and for educational purposes when she was younger. Now, as she packed up to go, it felt like the end of peace for the city, for the very peace itself was being bundled up and hidden in an eastern palace.

Lissa didn't sleep that night—or, at the very least, it felt like she hadn't. Once she would grow close to dozing off, her vision swarmed. That spear point was in her face again, pointed between her eyes, or the soldiers who had advanced on Emmeryn when she had attempted to parley with the Mad King. Lon'qu, slumbering rather soundly nearby, had no idea of the imagined threats that swirled through Lissa's head.

When the first light of morning came, she clambered out of bed, as though watching herself through someone else's strange, distorted lens, and perched herself on the ledge at the window. She saw the dawn, green and wan, rise above the rooftops of the city, but it felt as though she was examining someone else who was watching the dawn. _Why am I so nervous? It's only temporary, right?_ Lissa thought, wrapping her arms tightly around herself. Even her thoughts echoed as though from far away, although she attributed that to sleeplessness. _I'm no warrior, and I, as well as every other shepherd, would defend her to the death. No one's going to touch her. So why do I feel like this is a bad idea?_

An overwhelming desire to see her sister washed over her. She slipped out of the room, travelling down the hall to see if Emmeryn was awake yet. There were still guards posted outside of her door, who gave her a pointed look when she drew too close. _Still asleep, then. At least some of us can sleep. Lucky her._ With a half-hearted smile and a tiny wave to the stern-faced men, she headed back in the direction from which she came. _I'm exhausted. Brain, please let me sleep. Especially since Emmeryn can sleep at a time like this._

She opened the door to her room and slipped back in, resisting the urge to sigh. Settling back on her bed, she drew her knees to her chest and rested her forehead on them. The corners of her vision were tinged with exhaustion and her head pulsed in time with her heart. Lissa prayed that the morning would come quickly for her.

It was a mystery to her as to whether she fell asleep or not when she heard Lon'qu say, "It's time." She opened her eyes blearily to the myrmidon, who was busy strapping swords to his belt—a brand-new Killing Edge opposite his sword hand and one on the other hip. "You did not sleep."

"Not that I was aware of," Lissa said dully, rubbing at her eyes. She was still sitting up, forehead pressed into her knees. Her neck and shoulders ached profoundly. Gods, today was going to be a difficult one if her current condition was anything to go by. "Why today, of all days, did I not sleep? We have to march for at least fifteen hours today, and then tomorrow? At least ten to get to that palace. Drat." She rolled off the bed, searching for her armor, overclothes, and stave.

"It's Emmeryn," Lon'qu said, rather emotionlessly. Lissa knew that a particularly flat voice with him was a sign of exhaustion; she hoped that her restlessness hadn't kept him awake. "Your sister. You worry about her."

"Still. I was going to go talk to her, and lo and behold! _She_ managed to fall asleep. You slept, right?" she said reproachfully as she buckled her corset in place. "Strong people can sleep."

Lon'qu shrugged. He was so quiet this morning. Not that he was ever particularly chatty or anything, but it seemed pronounced this morning. Lissa watched him out of the corner of her eye as she hastily stuffed her hair into a knot at the nape of her neck. He didn't seem sad or tired. His expression was its usual cool, relaxed facade, and his posture gave away little else. What was on his mind?

"Why are you staring at me?" Lissa was jolted back to reality. Lon'qu was gazing at her rather sternly.

She sighed. "Sorry. It's probably just the thousand yard stare of getting less sleep than there are exalts."

"One sleep?" Lon'qu asked, his mouth quirking the tiniest bit.

Lissa groaned and grabbed her stave from the foot of her bed and brandished it. Pointing it threateningly at him, she declared, "You know what I meant! One hour! Or less! Ugh!"

"Not sure that I do," he responded, his mouth still quirked just the tiniest amount. Lissa rolled her eyes and drew the stave back to her side. _At least someone can make a joke here!_ She thought with a huff.

Not long after this, they were on their way to the barracks, with dewy grass making their boots slick with condensation and weak rays of sun warming their backs. They barely spoke. Lissa wondered if Lon'qu was worried. His array of emotions was expressed in a fairly limited way; unless he said he felt some sort of worry for her or someone else, she would have a hard time guessing it.

Chrom and Robin gave their usual speeches to a rather somber group. Even in early mornings, Vaike usually talked to his friends with his weird brand of machismo while Stahl complained or praised the food at breakfast. This morning, though, if Robin hadn't been talking about strategy and if Chrom hadn't given his pep talk, one would have been able to hear a pin drop in the barracks. "We will convene outside with the Pegasus Knights and Emmeryn, and then we begin our march."

"Yahoo, eat some stew," muttered a rather sleepy Sully, who was slumped against a comatose-looking Miriel. A quiet rumble of laughter passed through the group, but it was the only positive interaction that morning, for a few hours into the march, it was apparent that people were tired and anxious. As the altitude increased and the mountain air grew thinner, the waning energy of the group decreased even further. It took Lissa all she had, as she led one of the pack horses, to stay on her feet and guide the horse around rocks and stumps. Every so often, she would glance up and see Emmeryn speaking with her entourage of assistants and workers. Even in her exhausted state, Lissa noticed that the clergyman who accompanied her sister was sweating profusely. In these altitudes, the wind was brisk and the sun provided little warmth; a brisk march up an incline like this would not produce that amount of sweat, even in someone unaccustomed to it.

Lissa turned to mention this to Lon'qu, who probably could determine more about the reasons for the man's sweatiness, but she saw him at a distance, shoving an injured Stahl unceremoniously onto his horse's back. _That sprained ankle of his never quite heals. Sully really should give him a break,_ Lissa thought with a huff. _Good on Lon'qu for helping him, though._ The horse that Lissa was leading danced around a rock in the increasingly steep path; Lissa slowed him down with a tug of the reins and a solid pat to the shoulder.

It was when the path began to level out, on cliffs high above fields that were blue and hazy below, that Chrom and Robin slowed the column down, bringing his group to a standstill for a quick rest. "Chrom, I don't know how you manage to keep such a brisk pace like that. My legs are shaking," Robin huffed, bent over to catch her breath.

Chrom chuckled. "What do you want me to do? Carry you?"

Robin gave him a pointed look. Lissa planted a hand on her hip and declared, "Hey, you can carry me!"

Chrom rolled his eyes. "No, thanks."

Everyone began to settle in...except for that clergyman. Lissa watched, with a feeling of wrongness in her gut, as he fidgeted. Unlike everyone else, he was in no way relaxing, standing and looking around with wild eyes. Robin seemed to notice as well, directing her attention toward him. "Sir, are you feeling well? You've been acting strangely all day."

"Oh, you know, just not feeling well," he responded, sweat trickling down his face. Lissa frowned at him. _Obviously, but why? He almost looks...guilty, or something like that,_ she thought. She glanced around and noticed Frederick walking past her. A plan formulated in her mind.

She approached him and tapped him on his shoulder. He looked down at her as she gave her biggest smile. "Frederick, not to be a bother or anything, but will you take this horse for a bit? I need to take care of something."

Frederick seemed to be formulating conclusions in his mind about what that "something" was that Lissa needed to "take care of," and he gingerly took the reins from her. "Of course, milady."

"Thank you so much!" she responded, setting off at a brisk walk to be within the vicinity of the clergyman. She plopped down on a rock, nearly smacking her tailbone in the process, and watched him discreetly as she pretended to fidget with her boot, as though she had unwillingly acquired a pebble during the march. Gods, was he _ever_ sweaty! His face was bright red and his eyes were shifty, but Lissa supposed that part could be chalked up to exertion.

Someone plopped down heavily on the ground to her right. "If you're going to spy, you should be less open about it."

Lissa scowled without looking over at Lon'qu, who sounded rather pleased with himself. "I'm being _very..._ uh...clandestine, thank you," Lissa whispered back at him, continuing to fiddle with her boot.

"No one toys around with their boot for that long," he said coolly.

She took a moment to compose herself before glancing over at him. He was cleaning the blade of his new Killing Edge, not even bothering to look at her. However, she noticed his fleeting glances toward the clergyman. _Hmm. He looks a little more natural at this than me,_ she decided. "Spy much?"

"Don't talk about it," he ordered.

Lissa rolled her eyes and picked up her staff, fiddling with it. "Are you annoyed because you had to work with Stahl's horse? And Stahl? And, you know, a living human being?"

He shot her a reproachful glance. "He talks a lot."

"I talk a lot."

"I accepted that."

"Then accept Stahl talking a lot."

He snorted. "I do not have _that_ much patience."

Lissa sighed and planted her staff in the earth with a solid _thunk._ "Hey, it's just Stahl. It's not like it's Virion, attempting to lasso you in with his bowstring—"

She was silenced by Lon'qu holding a hand out. Lissa scowled and began to open her mouth. He glanced at her and tapped his ear. _He wants me to listen for something?_ She closed her eyes and filtered out the quiet chatter, only to hear dull wingbeats. "Lon'qu, those are probably some of the Pegasus Knights…" she trailed off, her mouth growing taut as she focused in on the noise. It was all wrong; the beats were too broad and the sound was also too solid. It sounded like billowing fabric getting dragged around, or even something leathery. Where had she heard that noise before? The pegasi certainly didn't make that kind of noise…

It suddenly occurred to Lissa that there were other flying animals that warriors rode on—chiefly a scaly creature that Plegians rode. _It has to be wyverns. We don't have a wyvern rider in this army!_ Lissa opened her eyes and her mouth to shout warning, but she already heard one go up from Robin. "Wyvern Riders! From Plegia!" She shouted, leaping to her feet quickly.

Much as it had occurred to Lissa that there were wyverns approaching, now visible as dark V's in the sky, it also occurred to her now that the clergyman must have sold them out. Why else would he be so sweaty? "Mr. I'm-Pretending-To-Be-Cheese-In-Heat over there totally has something to do with this. I want to beat his ass in with my staff right now," Lissa hissed to Lon'qu, who nodded solemnly back at her. She swung her staff around as she jumped to her feet, as every other shepherd did, and braced herself to protect her sister from whatever was coming their way.

* * *

The flash of swords. The smell of blood. The sweat lining Lon'qu's palms and brow. The air smelled of salt, and Lon'qu felt nauseated as he had to quickly shove Lissa out of the way of a swooping Wyvern Rider. "Eyes up," he ordered. This high-altitude battle ground was not ideal for anyone aside from Sumia and the redheaded one who had just joined the battle. There were also a few too many large, flying things for his taste. They were difficult to fight, and even more difficult to protect Lissa from, as there could be a threat coming from almost every direction and at any angle.

"They're so fast!" She exclaimed, dancing away from the edge of the cliff. "Also, your bicep is bleeding. A lot."

"Of course," was all he could respond with as he wrenched the axe out of the Wyvern Rider's hands with Killing Edge's crossguard. The shock of the brutal movement nearly shook his arms. Lissa whooped as the axe fell and she attempted to pick it up from where it had lodged itself in the ground. She yelped. "Ah, never mind, I'd never be able to throw that. Or swing it. It's so heavy."

"Focus on healing. Eyes up!" He repeated, slashing through the wing of a wyvern rider that swooped at him. The beast shrieked and banked hard, tossing its unsuspecting rider to the hazy grounds below and falling hard onto the rocky ground. Lissa hopped around it nervously and fixed herself at Lon'qu's back. "It looks like Gaius is hurt badly. Probably a broken bone. We need to go heal him."

He nodded. They made their way across the rocky terrain, with Lissa leading at a mad dash and Lon'qu protecting her with furious sword swipes. Sweat pulled his unruly hair into his eyes, and he pushed it back with one hand and dispatched a ruffian with the sword in the other. Gaius was hunched besides a boulder, holding one of his arms to his body. He held a sword out with his good arm, his gaze swinging wildly.

When they arrived there, Gaius nearly swung his sword at Lissa, who leapt back into Lon'qu with a startled yelp, but Lon'qu thrust Killing Edge out in front of her. "Friends. Not foes," he warned him in a cool voice.

"S-sorry. You were coming in so fast. Man, I have never goofed up like I just goofed up. Good thing I was wearing armor or that ruffian would have taken my arm off," Gaius remarked as Lissa set about healing him.

"No worries. Just...don't chop my head off? Chrom wouldn't be very happy with you," Lissa said with a half smile that Gaius returned. Lon'qu felt unnaturally frustrated. Thankfully, a Plegian ruffian was charging at him, providing an easy outlet for his frustrations. He dispatched his enemy with a bright spray of blood, painting ruby droplets across his clothing and face.

Gaius whistled. "Nice. Very brutal."

Lon'qu gave him a dark look, and Lissa shot her bodyguard a warning glower in return. He quickly wiped the look from his face and focused on protecting Lissa as she did her job. _She is doing her job, so you better do your job,_ he told himself.

It was a brutal fight that was being conducted by both sides. Once again, Lon'qu could not distinguish how much of his blood was his or his opponent's, especially as he kept protecting Lissa as she healed their companions. He dedicated himself to it completely, throwing his body in front of her if the need came and sustaining minor wounds if it wasn't possible to deflect a sword or an axe. The shepherds were clearly pulling through, however, as the skies were free of dark, leathery shapes and the sounds of metal clashing on metal were diminishing. "That damned clergyman. He paid for his lies but...at what cost? I've healed four broken bones, a nicked artery, and countless gashes and dislocations," Lissa remarked as she healed an injured Robin.

"When this battle is over, we need to figure out why Cordelia is here. Her patrol was much closer to Ylisstol than we are," Robin remarked, her brow rumpled with anxiety. Lissa cut off the healing injuries, and Robin flexed her formerly injured leg experimentally. "Ah, thank you. Back to business" She stood up, ready to enter the fray, but instead watched as Sumia drove her spear through the chest of the final Wyvern Rider, killing him instantly. She sat back down with a heavy sigh. "Oh, never mind. Hanging around Chrom all the time like that puts a girl right in the fray, huh?" Robin remarked with a chuckle.

For a few tense minutes, every shepherd watched for more reinforcements, but there were no wingbeats or clunking footsteps to be heard. Lon'qu heaved a sigh of relief. The tension had largely left the air, leaving in its place the heavy emptiness of post battle. He felt like Death itself; he was fairly certain he had lost a significant amount of blood. "Hey," he said softly, catching Lissa's attention. "Heal me."

"Wow, you're pretty pale. Right on it," she said, focusing her stave on him. "This won't do much about the blood loss, but it'll stop the bleeding."

"Great," Lon'qu muttered, bowing his head.

As he bowed his head, he noticed the Pegasus Knight, Cordelia, land and dismount. Her expression was chillingly vacant, and she clutched at herself as though she was about to fall apart. As Robin had said, why had she come so far north? The Pegasus Knights not in Emmeryn's direct employ had been protecting a different border of Ylisse, according to Robin, so what had happened to her. Lissa was watching her, too. "Uh, Lon'qu. I think she's very close to going into shock." Before Lon'qu could respond, she turned to Robin, who seemed barely present as she leaned against the boulder. "Robin. Please go check in on Cordelia. That's what you wanted to do, earlier, right?"

Robin opened her eyes and slowly rose to her feet, her healed leg wobbling ever so slightly. "Right. Thank you," she said. She beckoned to Chrom, who was waiting for Emmeryn and her convoy to return, and pointed rather broadly at Cordelia. The leaders of the shepherds hobbled toward the girl, where they spoke to her in hushed voices.

Lissa sighed heavily and broke the flow of healing magic. Lon'qu's partially-healed cuts itched, and if it wouldn't have harmed the new skin, he would have given them a good scratching. He hated relentless itching. "Lon'qu...I have a really bad feeling about Cordelia being here. Pegasus Knights never go anywhere alone, really. They're like a flock of birds in that sense," Lissa commented, earning her a strange look from her bodyguard. "Sorry. What I mean is that it's fishy."

"Perhaps she was meant to deliver news and was caught in battle," he responded, planting himself against the boulder that Robin had been leaning on. "She seems young. Maybe it was her first battle?"

"Cordelia isn't that new to things. I think she's Chrom's age; if anything, Sumia's the one who hadn't seen a wink of combat before all of this," Lissa remarked. "Whatever happened, I'm worried. I've been worried since Emmeryn announced she was leaving."

As though she was summoned by Lissa's words, the Exalt appeared, accompanied by Phila and a half-dozen other pegasus knights. Emmeryn's face gleamed palely as she skirted around fallen bodies, her normally placid face twisted with disgust and sadness. Lissa looked as though she was about to call out to her sister, her hand even half-raised in the air, but she hesitated. She dropped her hand back to her side and gave an odd little smile. "Not now," she whispered to herself. Lon'qu shot her a glance, wondering what she meant.

She stood there, uncertainly, as her siblings began to talk in low, somber voices. Lissa seemed uncustomarily frozen in place, quiet and unmoving. Wouldn't she normally desire a conversation with her siblings after something important like this had happened? Yet she stood, her chest barely rising and falling with her breath, as she watched them. Lon'qu nudged her lightly with his elbow. She jerked away from him, her eyes wide as though he had punched her in the jaw. "Go by them."

"I have a very bad feeling," she said, her voice partially reproachful and partially hollow. "About all of this."

"Go," Lon'qu insisted again. Lissa stumbled forward, glancing back at him with a fearful face.

He had a bad feeling, too, but whatever it was he was feeling couldn't be as strong as what Lissa was experiencing.

Lon'qu rested against the rock, watching Lissa from afar as she joined her siblings. Rather unceremoniously—in blood-stained clothing, nonetheless—Lissa threw herself at her sister, enveloping the Exalt in a tight hug. Chrom gestured at her, but she refused to let go, her cheek resting against her sister's chest. If Lon'qu had to happen a guess at this distance, she was crying.

He kept out a watch, as he was meant to as her bodyguard. He listened to the sky, where he heard nothing but mountain winds, and felt the ground for impending horses and marching soldiers. Nothing. Mostly, his eyes were on her, as she released her sister from her tight hug and stood so close. There was so much love inside of her for her family and friends. Lon'qu vaguely wondered what it was like, to be so consumed by affection for a wide variety of people that she cried or laughed whenever she felt too full of it.

The conversation was terse. Cordelia seemed to have burst into tears. Lissa and Robin took their time comforting her as Chrom and Emmeryn seemed to be having an intense discussion, with terse hand gestures and rigid posturing.

This continued for a few minutes before Cordelia separated herself from one of Robin's hugs and gestured broadly before bringing her hands into her chest, as if to say "What about me?"

Lon'qu had a "very bad feeling" about what was going to happen next.

Every person in that tense little grouping fell rather still as Emmeryn held her hands out, cutting off conversation. She clasped her hands and looked down for a moment before looking up. Whatever she said obviously had an effect. Chrom and Robin physically recoiled, and Lissa shouted, "What? No! You can't! You can't just leave!"

Lon'qu, almost robotically, moved toward Lissa, his head reeling. He truly understood what Lissa meant, about things feeling _wrong._ His gut was twisting in time with his goofy brain and furiously pumping heart. As he drew closer, he heard Emmeryn's words—words that rang with a note of finality. "I have to. I will return to Ylisstol, and you will go on to Regna Ferox for aid. My people need me."

Lon'qu realized Lissa had certainly been right. That feeling of wrongness was over this, over what he was seeing as an extremely rash move that was about to be made by the Exalt.

Lissa stared at her, hazel-green eyes filled with tears, and she quietly said, "But I need you, Em."

"It will be alright. It is my duty to be there for my people, and I have forsaken it by leaving, especially by standing here, at a bloody site," she said, gesturing to the fallen bodies. "I will have Phila and my guards with me."

"I'll protect you! I'll do anything! Just don't go back there like this," Lissa demanded, her face bright red with unshed tears. She didn't even notice the gathering shepherds or even Lon'qu as she continued to say, "Let me come with you. Something. Anything."

"No. Stay here with your brother. I will manage," Emmeryn said with a gentle smile. She drew her sister in for an embrace, and she murmured, "Lissa, you are a healer above all else. Remember that."

Lissa began to sob again, and the sound cut straight to Lon'qu's chest. He had to look away from Lissa as she clung fiercely to her sister, shutting out everyone else. Lon'qu gazed at the sky, doing his best to shut out the deep, depressive feelings that began to swirl through him at the relative silence that accompanied Lissa's muffled sobs. He exhaled shakily and bowed his head. There was only thought that ran through his head: _There is no chance that this is going to end well, and the blood that Emmeryn doesn't want to be shed will be shed regardless._

* * *

Lissa was numb. It wasn't the cold. It wasn't the long hike. It wasn't the hard fall she had taken on the ice about two miles away from the Feroxi border. No. It was Emmeryn, who was already far away from her near a compromised border in a city protected by little more than archers and cavalrymen.

In the Feroxi castle, Lissa stood with a blanket wrapped around her. Here she was, in the place that Lon'qu called home, but she couldn't even be bothered to care. She wanted out. She wanted to go home. She wanted reinforcements. She wanted to be anywhere but here, and by anywhere she meant wherever it was that Emmeryn would be.

Lon'qu seemed concerned, in his own odd way. He watched her closely; he was normally a man of glances and gestures, but she felt his eyes on her. Did she seem that weak? That ready to fall apart in Emmeryn's absence?

As they waited for Khan Flavia to show up, Lissa breathed deeply. She tried telling herself that everything was alright, that in a matter of minutes Flavia would appear and hand over more steady-handed, able-bodied, and strong-minded soldiers to Chrom's command so that they could rescue Ylisse from the infernal war they had started.

If Chrom hadn't killed Plegian soldiers that day, they wouldn't be here. _Nor would Emmeryn,_ she reminded herself, drawing the blanket about herself even more tightly.

It was as the door opened that this temporary, unstable peace in her mind was broken. There were hurried footsteps. She turned slowly, as though moving through molasses, as the messenger, a soldier in dented, bloody armor, bowed to Chrom very briefly before saying what could have come only from Lissa's nightmares.

"Lord Chrom, I have bad news. Ylisstol has fallen, and Emmeryn was taken prisoner by the Mad King Gangrel! The entire city has been sacked!"

The world tilted, and Lissa felt a strong arm wrap around her. Whose arm? Lon'qu's? Chrom's? She knew not. From somewhere far away, she heard a cry of anguish. Was it her own? Robin's? She knew not.

"My...sister," she breathed, and it was the only thing that felt close, the phantom of an idea that was now endangered.

"Em."

* * *

 _A/N: Hello, it is I, Mars. Forgive me on the slow update. A few things might have killed my inspiration to write anything for this story, but that is neither here nor there. The last time I updated, Awakening was still The Cool Game, but now it is the Dad Game that is Not As Cool because New Cool Kids came to town._

 _Translation:_

 _Fates is out, and I will keep my author note spoiler-free. I will mention that I kind of absolutely totally 100% suck as a strategist type for these games; thus, I have not bought Conquest, which has been referred to as a Quentin Tarantino movie on a few forums I frequent because of how easy it is to have bodies strewn everywhere. I have no plans to buy it or play it until I git gud, and I have instead been working slowly but surely through Birthright and the newly-released Relevations. So far, I'm rather enjoying them, and I identify just a little too much with Jakob sorrynotsorry._

 _Forgive any spelling/grammatical mistakes as you read. I know I always have a few here and there (I'm not enough of a nitpicker to catch all of them) and I'm kind of beat. Spring break is next week, and if I'm able to do so, I hope to post The Dreaded Update next week. As in, Emmeryn dying. You know the drill._

 _Fun fact: If I had known as an 8 or 9 year old that I would one day be obsessed with the franchise that the pretty guys with swords who spoke Japanese on Super Smash Bros Melee came from, I probably would have become a nun. Too much sinning has been had by little old Mars over here._

 _I hope you all have had a good few weeks (i.e month and a half or so) and that you all have been keeping up with stuff without killing yourself like I have been. Ay caray. Tally ho for now, kiddos._

 _~Mars_


	9. Chapter 9

During a break on the rapid march across Ylisse and Plegia, Lon'qu was attempting to rest. Emphasis on attempting-he threw an arm across his face to block out the bright sunlight. The saddlebag he had borrowed from Stahl's mount did not make for a decent pillow, and the rocky, sandy ground was not at all forgiving to his injuries. Most of all, he was annoyed by the sound of an axe burying itself into the stump of a dead, nearly petrified tree over and over again. He hoped that the thwacking noise would fade into white noise, but between the low thrum of anxiety coursing through him and his lack of comfort, he found himself increasingly irritated with the rhythmic assault to his ear drums.

Lon'qu sat up and sighed, rubbing at his eyes. They felt gritty and sore; after a delay in a rural cluster of desert villages to rescue a manakete and a mercenary from ruffians of one sort or another, he kept finding granules of sand in his hair and his lashes. In spite of his movement and irritated huff, the thwacking did not cease.

"You should be resting," he grumbled around his hands.

He heard the metal head of the axe bury itself into the ground and panting ensue. "Lon'qu I can't," said Lissa, her voice containing a ragged edge of exhaustion. "I have to help my sister." After a moment of silence, the rhythmic noise of the axe in wood resumed.

"You can't help her if you're dead on your feet," he said, trying his best to not let a combination of exhaustion, irritation, and anxiety make him snap at her. He lifted his head, wincing at the sandy discomfort of his eyes, and spotted Lissa standing about ten feet away from him, her sleeves rolled to her elbows and the cage skirt laying abandoned off to the side as to not hamper her movement. She was working with a large bronze axe, the head of it buried in the sand and her dirty hands clenched tightly around its handle. Everything about her was a mess, from her hair that was falling out of its usual containment to her dusty dress and boots. Her skin was reddened by the intense sun and patterned with new freckles. He stood slowly, hoping the ache of his battle-weary muscles was not terribly obvious to others nearby. "Give me the axe."

"Not a chance." She lifted it, wincing as she hoisted it onto her shoulders. "I have to fight for Emmeryn's sake. I will not be helpless."

He sighed. "You heal. I stab. I thought the roles were clear."

"Hey, I can stab...um….chop, actually. You know what? Never mind." She threw the axe down and plopped onto the ground, wiping at her brow. It was obvious that Lissa was attempting to rein in her tangled emotions, much like he was attempting to rein in the irritation that was bound to bleed through in this sorry situation. She dug into her pockets and came up with a flask and downed the contents. "Remember to keep drinking water. You're probably dying in this heat."

"I'll live," he said, but it was true; he wondered just how sunburnt he was after a stint in such an arid environment. He drank from his own container, cringing at the hot, leathery taste of the water. As he ruminated upon the taste, he watched the horizon for wyverns and pegasi. They had already run into trouble earlier in the day, eradicating ruffians in order to save a mercenary, Gregor, and the manakete girl Nowi.

Lissa, meanwhile, was wrapping her blistered, dirty hands with bandages, also from her pockets. "Do you ever just regret not wearing your gloves? Because I am regretting that sorely right now," she remarked, catching Lon'qu's attention.

He glanced down at her, noticing that the bandages were already stained in places. "You'll build callouses that way."

"This might interfere with knitting," she muttered to herself. "The yarn will catch. Ah, well. That's what embroidery was for, anyway. I guess." She laughed nervously and tied off the bandages. Lissa clambered to her feet again. "We'll probably get going soon. We should be ready."

 _She hasn't been right since we left Regna Ferox,_ Lon'qu thought as he watched her fetch her cage skirt and latch it back into place. She briefly passed out in Regna Ferox at the shock of her sister's capture, but she had blamed it on the cold, on her corset being too tight, on being tired-anything but on what had happened with Emmeryn and on her own emotions. It was likely that exhaustion and cold had something to do with it, but Lon'qu knew that the news certainly didn't help. Since then, she had pretended as though everything was just fine, forcing smiles and laughter. It was eerie. He wanted to tell her to cut it out, but who was he to do that? Who was he to tell her how to manage her stress at a critical juncture like this?

When the march resumed, Lissa walked fairly close to Lon'qu, chatting his ear off about this and that. He wasn't particularly tuned in, partially because he was miserable and partially because none of it made any sense to him. Lon'qu tried to think of something-anything-that he could interrupt with to cease the useless chatter. He thought back to Ylisstol, to something more lighthearted, to anything….

It occurred to him. "In Ylisstol," he started suddenly, cutting Lissa off mid-sentence, "we met that girl named Marth."

"Yeah," Lissa said. "She fought hard for us. Chrom really appreciates it."

"You said...she, erm, made a cute boy?" He asked, struggling to come up with interesting questions to ask.

Lissa sighed. "Yup. That's the Marth that was Khan Basilio's champion. Turns out she was, uh, masquerading as a boy. A cute, mysterious boy. Lost opportunities there. Not that there were any to begin with. Marth might be more cryptic than you."

Lon'qu groaned. The usurper! In their battle for champion status, he had hesitated mid-blow, sensing something was off, and ended up losing the battle. "That...may explain a few things," he remarked.

"Your woman senses were tingling?" Lissa asked, a smile creeping into her voice.

He wanted to deny it, but he didn't want to kill her momentarily lifted mood. "Yes. I, uh, suppose they were."

"Poor Marth. She'd probably be mad to know she didn't win fair and square," she responded with a laugh.

"Truth is, she would have likely beaten me, anyway. Her skills are terrifying," Lon'qu admitted.

Lissa smiled; it seemed a bit more genuine. She stretched, raising her hands up to the hot blue sky. Her bandaged, bloody hands reached for the heavens in a strange vision, almost as though she was subliminally begging for her sister's safety. "Soon," he muttered, before he could stop the word from slipping past his lips.

"Did you say something?" Lissa asked, dropping her stretch. The wind was picking up, scattering brown sands. She squinted against them as she gazed at Lon'qu. He realized she was probably expecting some form of response and shook his head at her. Lon'qu didn't want to voice the thoughts threading through his mind.

The sands were whipping up faster now; formerly blue skies dimmed with dust, and Lon'qu squinted his eyes against the gritty, relentless wind. It made him miss Regna Ferox and its frigid temperatures. He vaguely wondered how Basilio and Flavia were dealing with the heat as they marched somewhere further ahead with Robin and Chrom; both had spent most, if not the entirety, of their lives in the snow and cold of Ferox.

It seemed the shepherds plodded on in silence for a while before Lon'qu heard wingbeats. These belonged to a pegasus, and he gazed up as Sumia and her mount hovered overhead. "We're getting close to the Plegian castle," she called down to them. Her hand guarded her eyes from the ferocity of the desert. "Be ready to go. We don't have much time to save Emmeryn."

"No, we sure don't," Lissa remarked.

Sumia landed briefly, leading her pegasus by the reins as she walked between Lon'qu and Lissa. "Don't ever tell Chrom I said this, but I can promise you that this isn't going to be a nice, clean battle. There are a lot of forces gathered around that castle." Without another word, she jogged forward, the pegasus trotting behind her. In a seamless motion, she leapt onto the animal's back and urged it into the sky. The wingbeats cast dust and sand onto Lissa and Lon'qu.

Brushing the sand off, he glanced sidelong at the princess. "I suppose that wasn't a good sign."

"Coming from Sumia? Not really," Lissa groaned. She pulled her leather bracers back on and smiled grimly. "I'm trying to look at it this way. By later today, we should have Emmeryn back. Chrom was talking about swapping stories with her on the way home. So let's go make some new stories today, huh?" she finished.

Lon'qu nodded solemnly and readied a hand on the grip of his Killing Edge. "Yes."

* * *

 _Men: kill him. Kill his sister. Kill his troops and his friends and anyone else you find! Kill them all!_

Gangrel's words still rang in Lissa's head, what felt like hours after he had screamed them over the hiss of whipping sands.

If not for Flavia, Lissa knew that Emmeryn would have died upon their arrival to the castle. A well-thrown axe dispatched the barbarian who was about to bear down on her with an axe. Lissa would have to thank the khan later, but for the time being, all hell had broken loose upon this desert.

True to Sumia's word, the battle was certainly not nice and clean. Where the tides had turned quickly in their last battle against Plegian forces, Lissa felt as though she was taking part in the unruliest of melees—or maybe it was that her soul was filled with chaos that everything else reflected it. The whipping sand, kicked up by both wind and wings, cast the world around her in brownish hues. Injury stacked upon injury, and she and Lon'qu were constantly darting across the desert around the dilapidated castle, healing injuries and occasionally relaying messages. Lissa felt somehow trapped in the moment, aware of every particle of sand that whipped her body and every droplet of blood that oozed from her cuts and abrasions, and also felt far away, as though she could watch herself and her allies move like chess pieces on a board. What hand of fate, what god, what cruel bastard had set out this path for her and her family? Should she blame Gangrel, the mad king who had teased them with his vile laughter and callous comments before they had engaged in battle today, or should she blame Naga?

Presently, Lissa felt a sword slice her upper arm as she and Lon'qu sprinted across the sand toward Chrom, who had taken the butt of a spear to the ribs. Sumia was guarding him closely, but Lissa worried they would be worn down too quickly if she didn't heal her brother. Lon'qu dispatched the assailant while Lissa examined the damage almost robotically. The blood oozing from the cut was some of the only color she saw in the surrounding landscape. "Are you hurt?" Lon'qu asked.

"A cut, and it probably won't kill me. Let's just get to Chrom," she added hastily, though her upper arm throbbed.

Lon'qu aided Sumia in mowing down swarming soldiers as Lissa crouched beside her brother, feeding his injured ribs with her staff. "Don't you dare get injured like that. We have to be at full strength to rescue Emmeryn," she reminded him.

He chuckled weakly and rested a hand over his diaphragm. "It's a bit difficult. Gangrel really decided to go for the 'all hands on deck' approach to defeating us."

"If I ever see his face again after today, I'll deck him with...all of my hands. I think that really sounded better in my head," Lissa added hastily as Chrom gave her a fishy look.

The energies ceased to flow, and Lissa stood. Her hair was coming loose of its bindings again, and it whipped around her face. She felt fearless; now was no time to panic. _Because that's worked out so well for me before,_ Lissa thought to herself as she helped Chrom to his feet. "Please be careful," she urged him.

He met her gaze for a moment. Looking away, he gave a nod. Lissa could sense a veritable tsunami of emotion hiding in his voice as he promised, "Of course. You too, Lissa." Lissa stood still for a moment, watching as Chrom turned heel and rushed straight back into the fray. Without a moment more to spare, Lissa took off, too. Lon'qu was in the midst of defeating a mage. He slashed the tome out of his hands and thrust Killing Edge straight through the man's midriff, killing him instantly. Lissa felt vague disgust as she met up with him. "Chrom is better. I'm pretty sure he has bruised ribs, though, and after this battle he really should take it easy," Lissa remarked.

Lon'qu nodded before giving her an odd look. "Your hair is everywhere."

"It is." She ripped a scrap of fabric from her apron and tied it into a low ponytail, but flyaways still whipped around her face. "We have a lot more to do. Chrom might have recruited Libra to help us, but we still don't have that many healers. Let's get moving."

They reentered the fray once more. The sand was clumped and sticky with blood, hindering their progress across the sands. This battle smelled awful; iron, dust, and sweat clogged Lissa's nostrils. She felt nausea rise through her as she blocked an incoming throwing axe with her stave, but Lissa ignored it as she picked up the axe and hurled it right back with a loud cry. Much to her surprise, it ended up buried deep in the man's chest and he collapsed to his knees, his mouth still round with surprise. As Lon'qu routed a wyvern rider that swooped overhead, he glanced at her in surprise. "I think you killed him."

"I really can't think about that right now," she responded almost immediately. "Sully and her horse are down. We have to go help."

The battle dragged on; Lissa wondered if any progress was truly being made. It felt as though she was rushing everywhere and nowhere at once. Bodies of Plegians littered the ground, and more than once she stumbled over bodies that were already being covered by the capricious sands. Lissa wondered about the extent of her own injuries; she had cuts and scrapes that oozed, and her arms were almost numb from blocking attacks aimed for Lon'qu. Pain ebbed and flowed behind her right eye, either the result of grit in her eyes or a stress headache. In comparison to the injuries she healed, however, Lissa felt that hers were mere chump change.

As long as she was standing and her allies were still fighting, Lissa didn't care what she was feeling. Wounds could be healed on the journey home when Emmeryn was safe again.

It was much to her shock when she found herself in sight of the castle's entrance, healing yet another new recruit, Tharja, of a long gash that spread from her left collarbone to just above her right breast. "Don't heal it all the way," Tharja requested as Lissa brandished her staff. "The blood is...exciting," she said with a sick little smile.

"Good thing you're in the middle of this battle, huh? Lots of blood to go around and all." Lissa responded, twitching impatiently as new skin stitched over the wound. She could see Robin, accompanied by Gaius and Miriel, slashing down soldier after soldier. "Is this enough?" she asked.

"For now." Tharja stood and rushed across the sand, that sick little smile still twisting her lips.

Lissa turned to Lon'qu as she jumped back to her feet. "Come on. We have to go over there. We're so close to getting Emmeryn."

"Stay behind me. You're getting reckless," Lon'qu warned her.

The concern in his voice surprised her and pleased her. Surprise quickly melted into annoyance, however; she wanted to argue with him. The words formed on her lips, but she simply nodded. As long as she got to her sister quickly, Lissa didn't mind. Her hair was falling loose again, but she simply ignored it and guarded Lon'qu's back as best as she could. The thought of the Plegian soldier she had likely killed surfaced in her head as she sidestepped another body. She banished the thought. _Think of Emmeryn._

Lon'qu and Lissa joined Robin, Gaius and Miriel, now accompanied by Chrom and Sumia as well, and dispatched more soldiers. Lissa healed and defended, her staff chipped all along its body and her hands aching from the constant abuse. The battle was ending in a raging inferno in front of her, and Lissa watched it unfold, almost in an emotionless state.

Gaius was cutting through enemies fearlessly. His usual joviality was gone, and he grimaced every time his sword successfully rended flesh. Robin was near him, firing pulses of spells in all directions, her long, white-blonde hair singed and stained by blood. She had natural chemistry with the thief, easily complimenting his style as they cut down soldier after soldier. The cluster of forts near them was slowly emptied of soldiers. Miriel swung between aiding Robin and Chrom, pulsing fiery energies at enemies that the other four warriors hadn't cut down.

Lon'qu protected her closely as she healed her friends. She stopped paying attention to the flow of the battle and focused on the injuries sustained by her friends. Miriel flopped to the ground nearby, gripping her arm, and Lissa charged for her. She heard Lon'qu behind her, and she looked up to glance at him before she noticed that, aside from one last soldier that was being engaged by Gaius, the place was devoid of life. _Emmeryn!_ Lissa froze in spot, shamefully ready to charge off into the castle courtyard, before she felt a hand snag her by the shoulder and yank her out of the way of an arrow that whizzed past her head. "Don't be reckless," Lon'qu reminded her harshly, dragging her around to face him. His face was twitching with annoyance that broke through his usually cool facade. "You're going to get yourself killed."

Lissa shook off his hand and pointed at the entrance, where Chrom and her allies were swarming in. "Look! It's open!"

Lon'qu's aggravation and dropped and he brandished his sword. There was some ferocity lost in his eyes; Lissa wondered if it was sadness that was barricaded carefully behind his dark irises. Why? "Just be more careful...Lissa. Please." He rushed forward and Lissa followed him into the courtyard.

 _We're coming, Emmeryn!_ She charged in after Lon'qu. _Tonight, you'll be safe and Plegia will be reeling from loss!_

* * *

Emmeryn felt immense relief when her siblings appeared in the castle courtyard, accompanied by a slew of allies, some familiar and some new. Though penned in by enemy soldiers from behind, she felt liberated simply at the sight of her siblings. "Emmeryn! We're here!" She shifted her gaze, seeing Chrom stand there with Falchion drawn in front of him. He turned to Robin, a small white-headed figure below. "Robin, the sky's clear! We have to give the signal!"

Hope blossomed bright and strong in her chest for the first time since her capture.

He flashed Falchion in such a way that a bright light scattered across the courtyard, refracted by the sun, and Emmeryn soon heard wingbeats. She turned to see Phila and her fellow pegasus knights flying in high above. Emmeryn almost laughed with relief. "Your Grace!" Phila called, her face serious.

"Phila! I'm so glad to see you're safe! But how—"

Phila cut her off with a quick motion of her hand. "Khan Basilio's men freed me." She reached a hand out to Emmeryn. "Come on, we must hurry!"

A cold roar of anger rang through the courtyard. Emmeryn closed her eyes and swallowed nervously. Mad King Gangrel raised his own sword, a crooked contraption that sparked with magic. "Your damned tactician playing dirty, Little Prince?"

His companion, the white-haired Aversa, grabbed his sword arm and raised her own. "Lucky for you, so do I."

Emmeryn was just about to grab Phila's hand when she noticed Risen swarming from inside the castle, wielding bows. She withdrew her hand and shouted, "Phila, go—"

Phila was unable to escape before an arrow buried itself solidly in her chest. Her face immediately went white. Her hand went to the arrow, as if to pull it out, but it quickly went slack and Phila toppled from her pegasi, who was also shot down the minute Phila began to fall. "No!" she hissed, reaching out for a woman who had been dead at the very instant the head of the arrow began to enter her torso. The other two pegasus knights were felled in the same fashion. "Phila…" she breathed, her hands clutching at her robes tightly as her longtime ally and friend's body hit the ground.

Hope bled from her the way that life and blood had escaped through the wound in Phila's chest. _Why?_ She thought, feeling intense despair. _Why must things come to this?_

Gangrel laughed that hideous, vile laugh. How dark and twisted his soul had to be, nestled somewhere inside that tortured heart of his. "I believe this is what they call a reversal of fortunes. Now... grovel before me. Plead! Beg for your worthless lives!"

There was some shouting back and forth, and Emmeryn edged back toward the ledge, gazing out over the desert. The vicious winds were settling once more, opening to a deceptively blue sky, punctuated here and there with perfectly fluffy white clouds. _A travesty. Such a peaceful sky on such a violent day,_ she thought, bowing her head.

She focused back in when she felt eyes on her once more.

It was Chrom gazing up at her, covered in dust, blood, and sweat, and weighed with defeat. In spite of this, he started to unsheath Falchion once again as he shouted, "Emm, hold on, I'm—"

"ARCHERS! If this Ylissean pup so much as twitches, let your arrows fly!" Gangrel shouted.

She could feel his despair rolling up, but Emmeryn felt strangely calm, gazing into the eternally benevolent blue above her. In that moment, she knew exactly what needed to be done. Chrom, Lissa, and their friends could not harm themselves any further saving her. There was nothing more to give up. _I am but a single life._ She found herself gazing down at Chrom, who was shouting at Gangrel while Sumia and Robin held him back, and at Lissa, who held her stave with a tight grip.

 _Brother. Sister. I am so sorry, but I will not be leaving Plegia alive. It is so that you can, and so that the Fire Emblem may stay safe. I am but a single life,_ she repeated, and it became her mantra.

* * *

Lissa felt pinned, like an insect in a collection, under the eyes of the Risen, from her position behind a crumbled wall. What hope she had entering this courtyard had been vanquished. She dared not move or breathe more than shallow, shaky breaths; she may not be a threat in the way that Chrom was, but what if they interpreted a movement of hers as one? What if she was the one who got Emmeryn killed?

 _We can still save Emmeryn!_ Lissa told herself. Lon'qu's solid presence behind her was not enough to quell the fear that was overtaking her once more. Anxiety was about to get the better of her, and she had to force a slow, deep breath to keep the fluttery panic from eating her alive. _Stop freaking out!_ Lissa castigated herself, her hands clenching tightly around the stave. _How's that gonna help Emm?_

"If you lay down your weapons and give me the Fire Emblem, I'll spare your sister," Gangrel said, snapping Lissa back to reality. "A mere trinket for the life of your sister, Little Prince."

Chrom seemed stricken. He gazed down at his hands. "My duty...or my sister…" he mumbled to himself. Lissa opened her mouth to speak, but Robin cut in before her, her voice beleaguered.

"Chrom, compared to the lives of thousands, one person, any person, is—"

"Don't. Just...don't," he growled, causing Robin to draw away from him with a stricken look.

Gangrel laughed, clapping a hand to his chest. Lissa wanted to charge him, with the sword that hung at Lon'qu's side, and drive it through his center the way he'd allowed archers to kill Phila. An eye for an eye was what this man deserved. He gestured to Emmeryn, standing high above them. "You'd choose a trinket? Over her? Isn't that just _delicious?_ I can't wait to hear what your people will have to say about that one. 'The Exalt is dead! Long live her murder!' Your halidom would implode before you could as much as begin your rule, Little Prince—"

"That's enough!" Emmeryn's voice rang clearly above the ruckus. Lissa's thoughts silenced, and all attention was focused back on her again. Gangrel shouted at her to quiet down, but she simply plowed on. "King Gangrel. Is there no hope for you to listen to reason?"

"You mean your sanctimonious babble? I think not. All I want to listen to is the thunk of arrows, and the splat as you hit the ground…" Lissa felt intense rage burn inside her as Gangrel described the murder of her sister. She inched forward, staff clenched tightly in her hands, and she felt Lon'qu's hand clench hard on her shoulder. Lissa turned, and he shook his head at her. His face was as lined with rage as everyone else's was.

Just as Gangrel finished speaking, Chrom piped up, his voice filled with intense burden. "Okay, you know what? That's enough. Emm, I know you won't approve, but this is my final decision. Maybe someday we'll encounter a situation where the Emblem would've helped. But today, Emm, Ylisse needs you!" He paused to collect himself, and Lissa felt an inkling of hope twitch in her skull. Was she going to go home with Emmeryn today? Would this still happen? "And...Lissa and I. We need our sister. If...if those dark days should come, we'll face them together!" he shouted, his face lifted defiantly, desperately to her.

Emmeryn was silent. Lissa watched as she bowed her head for a moment before looking her brother squarely in the face. "Chrom. Th-thank you. I know what I must do."

She took a step, and Lissa's heart felt to her feet. A stifled gasp went up through the group, and Chrom shouted, "Emm, what are you—"

Emmeryn cast her gaze around the courtyard, still inching toward the ledge. She halted directly at the edge, and called, "Plegians! I ask that you hear the truth of my words! War will win you nothing but sadness and pain, both inside your borders and out. Free yourselves from this hatred! From this cycle of pain and vengeance. Do what you must... As I will do. See now that one selfless act has the power to change the world!"

"Emm, no! No!" Chrom shouted. He burst free of Robin and Sumia's grip and rushed across the courtyard. No one moved to stop him. For Lissa, the entire world froze as her sister moved toward the edge. She paused, gazing at the sky. She seemed to be praying—to whom Lissa could not surmise. Chrom sprinted hard, but there was no way to save Emmeryn. She resumed her walk, and with a strange grace, a grotesque dignity that stabbed Lissa through the heart, she fell from the ledge.

The minute she started to fall, Lissa's heart fell with her. She screamed and covered her eyes, turning away. _It isn't real, it's just a bad dream, just DON'T LOOK!_ Moments later, she heard the body hit the ground. Her tears ceased immediately, and her face began to ache. Her whole body did. Grief, combined with a poisonous hatred, physically hurt.

There was shouting, screaming, and crying. Lissa felt her knees grow weak, and she buried her face, her tears suddenly dried up. _Emm! No!_ Lissa screamed internally.

Gangrel's laugh cut across the grief. "How disgustingly noble!" he shouted, and Lissa looked up, through watery eyes at who she now regarded a true devil. "And so lovely a fall! Here I thought death to be an ugly thing. I've never seen one fall so gracefully, in fact. And I've seen many fall! Ah...so ends Emmeryn, Ylisse's most exalted! But how can we ensure everyone remembers this beautiful moment of her sacrifice? Perhaps we should gather up her body and put it on display!"

"Gangrel! You die today!" Chrom shouted, pointing Falchion at the madman.

Basilio appeared, "No, boy! I secured an escape route! We have to flee!"

Lissa felt Lon'qu's hand plant itself firmly on the small of her back. "Go," he ordered, his voice thick. "We have to go."

"Emm!" she cried, tearing away from him to run to her sister, but Lon'qu caught her quickly and towed her along. "Let me go!" she ordered, trying to struggle out of his grip. They couldn't leave her here among those who had laughed and jeered at her death!

"Don't be an idiot," he growled, his hand firmly clenched around her bicep. "We have to go."

She gave up and was dragged onward. Tears pricked her eyes again. Her parents were gone, and now Emmeryn was, too. The sobs returned, clogging her throat, and she stumbled on into the desert, filled with hurt and grief.

* * *

 _A/N: Hello, my dudes. It has been a while since I've updated, and I apologize. Guess what's gonna happen, though? A double update! Stay tuned!_

 _So...let's see...what's new? I finished my first year of college (woot) and I'm working like 30 hours a week this summer (noice). I've also collectively put in approximately 180 hours in on Fire Emblem: Fates since it's come out, but who hasn't? *nervous laughter* My health also took a decline, and so I've been trying to repair some of that damage. But now I'm golden! I could probably do a cartwheel! Also, I got to see two separate best friends in operas (one was in Romeo et Juliette as Mercutio at the local theatre, and the other was one of the three spirits in Die Zauberflote at her college) and I'm currently doing pit for a musical, so I've been hitting the music hard again. When aren't I, though?_

 _On the other hand, school killed my inspiration; I had to listen to some Awakening OST to regain inspiration for this piece of writing, honestly. And of course, I come back from my hiatus with the shitty, heartbreaking stuff that happens in Awakening. Oyy._

 _Now, onto some good old Discourse._

 _My Fates OTP so far is F!Corrin and Shura. Yup. You heard me. Not Corrin and Silas. Not Corrin and Jakob. Not even Corrin and Kaze or Corrin and Rhajat, the Lesbians. No. It is F!Corrin and Shura. He's just so sweet to her, and my first few interactions with him after S-Supporting him made me decide he's pretty much number one for my darling Corrin. Aside from that, I have a few favorites support-wise. I like Hinata, Silas, Jakob, Xander and Niles's supports. I'd also like to marry Saizo, but that would make Asugi my son and I somewhat have a crush on Asugi/Gaius so like what even. Also, Jakob's supports seem kind of joke-ish with Corrin; if they weren't so goofy I'd probably like them a lot more. He's so loyal and good to her; he deserves a little better than just a tea-related support set, you know? I like substance a bit better...oh well! Take everything with a grain of salt!_

 _I'll cut off here. I hope you enjoy this, and keep your eyes peeled for a second update. I won't make promises, but I may have it out pretty quickly!_

 _Take care, and remember to always eat your vegetables._

 _~Mars_


	10. Chapter 10

It was so senseless.

It was all so utterly, depravedly, awfully, sickeningly senseless!

The shepherds had escaped the desert and into an area called the midmire. In comparison to the arid desert surrounding the Plegian castle, this area was swampy and rainy. The dust on Lissa's clothing and hair mingled with the rainwater that dripped down her hair, staining her pale yellow dress a gritty, silty brown. Not that she cared. _Emmeryn is supposed to be here,_ she thought, shoving her wet hair out of her face. She didn't even bother tying it back again. _Gangrel took her from me. From us._

Lissa wanted to kill him. She had never felt particularly violent in her life, but now it was all that kept her from falling to pieces as Lon'qu urged her along. Maribelle hadn't come to see her; she had been busy healing the wounds Tharja had sustained during battle and hadn't wanted entirely healed. Lon'qu was intensely silent beside her; she wondered if he was angry at her for trying to run back to her sister, crumpled and dead on the dusty ground of a Plegian courtyard.

Lissa noticed the pace slowing and halted herself beside Robin and Chrom, stabbing her stave into the wet mud and leaning heavily upon it. After today, she supposed it would have to be replaced. It was threatening to break after the abuse it had taken. Ahead was a series of cliffs and ravines, and Basilio, his eyes sparking with protectiveness, gestured toward the nearest one. "We need to hurry. The carriages should be through the ravine!"

Chrom stood silently, his eyes glazed. Robin nudged him, murmuring, "Chrom, please."

He looked up; to Lissa, he seemed paler than usual, under the streaky dirt and blood running off his body and clothes. Chrom sighed. "R...right. We're...we're coming."

They started to move ahead, but Chrom held an arm out as a number of Plegian soldiers appeared in the ravine. "Oh, gods dammit," Chrom muttered. He unsheathed Falchion. "They're right in our way."

"It's time to fight, then," Basilio remarked.

Lissa was exhausted. She reached over, bracing herself against a disgruntled Lon'qu briefly, and yanked her staff out of the ground. _I have rage to take out. This might not be so bad._

* * *

No more than an hour after initially thinking it wouldn't be that bad, Lissa decided that taking out anger as a rather combat-deficient healer was indeed a horrible idea.

Her mind was everywhere and nowhere at once, in a strange vertigo that bled her soul out. Unlike the Plegian castle, where Lissa felt largely functional through most of the battle, Lissa felt like a waste of space and energy in this particular battle. She kept making mistakes; Lon'qu's side was soaked with blood from a sword that Lissa had failed to block with her staff. He didn't complain as she healed it. In spite of his quiet, she wondered if the myrmidon was disappointed in her dysfunctional nature.

 _Focus!_ Lissa raged as she quickly disarmed a lance-wielder rushing at her partner. The lance tip was buried in the mud, forcing the butt of the weapon into the man's diaphragm. Winded by the impact, the man wheezed. Lissa froze. Her mind wandered to Emmeryn; what had happened to her on impact?

The tip of Lon'qu's sword arced past Lissa and cut the life from the man. He crumpled, sliding off of the lance, and Lissa tried to shake the thought of her sister. Lon'qu once again didn't comment, sliding past her, and Lissa jogged to keep up. Muddy water sloshed up over her boots, dousing her feet in a wave of chilly, sodden discomfort.

Further ahead in the valley, Chrom was tearing through masses of Plegians, Sumia once again aiding him. _How does he function at a time like this?_ Lissa wondered. If anything, he seemed more aggressive than usual, mowing easily through soldiers with almost a savage disregard. His grief manifested as an apparent rage, and Lissa's had fizzled out the moment she'd taken off after Lon'qu on the battlefield.

She was cold and scatterbrained and scared and war seemed useless.

She and Lon'qu approached Chrom, who stood in the center of a mob of dead Plegians. His head was tipped toward the sky, rainwater dripping off of his bangs and into his face. Sumia circled overhead on a pegasus. The number of soldiers they had faced off against seemed relatively small; Lissa heard very few battle sounds. "Chrom," she called, and he slowly looked at her. His face was streaked silty and his eyes were red and puffy. "Are you injured at all?"

He showed her his wrist, swollen almost beyond recognition. "I think I punched someone right in the armor," he muttered, almost as if to himself.

Lissa held out her staff, rickety and close to breaking, and began healing her brother's wrist. Chrom looked over her head to Lon'qu. "Did you see any more soldiers that way?"

"No," was all Lon'qu replied. "We need to get moving soon."

Lissa was taken aback; it seemed like Chrom was ignoring her. _Please look at me,_ she thought at her brother, but he seemed to be thousands of miles away.

Robin trotted over, a slew of shepherds following her. Her face was lined with misery. "That general, Mustafa...we took him out." She struggled with the words; Lissa wondered why she was so bothered by it. "Basilio says we have to move now. There probably aren't any more reinforcements, but just in case we have to leave."

They hustled through the valley and arrived on the other side, where a squadron of carriages waited. A lovely girl with pink hair darted over, chatting with both Basilio and Chrom about something, before everyone descended upon the carriages. Lissa went to follow her brother; however, a warm hand settled on her shoulder. "We need you two to ride separately. What if something happens to one carriage and you're both in it?" said the voice of Robin.

Lissa turned to her, eyes sad. "But he's my brother," she said softly. "And...we just lost our sister," she finished, trailing off.

Robin's eyes softened. "I know. We're returning to Ferox. You can talk with him there."

"Cool, I can stew for few more hours," Lissa mumbled. Robin sighed and simply towed her off to a carriage and directed Lon'qu to follow her. She clambered in, Lon'qu closely following. Lissa pressed herself into the far corner and Lon'qu sat down gingerly beside her. It was remarkably quiet in the interior, aside from the dripping of damp clothing and sodden hair. The silence was broken when they were joined by a rather quiet Ricken, who immediately crammed himself against the window on the far side and pulled the brim of his mage's hat over his eyes. Gaius joined shortly after, slinking to the opposite side of Ricken's bench. He was uncharacteristically quiet, his eyes dull. Last but not least, Robin swung into the carriage, plopping herself between Ricken and Gaius just as the carriage lurched into motion.

Her breathing heavy, she leaned forward and cupped her face in her hands. "What a disaster."

"I'll say," Gaius retorted.

 _Disaster doesn't even begin to describe it._ Lissa leaned her head against the window and sighed heavily. Her thoughts wandered back to Chrom, who had almost completely ignored her. Mouth taut, she dragged her knees to her chest and exhaled a heavy sigh into an otherwise quiet cabin.

In fact, the ride was largely silent. Robin and Gaius whispered back and forth about something here and there before falling silent again for hours at a time. Ricken didn't speak at all; Lissa suspected he'd probably fallen asleep not long into the journey out of sheer exhaustion. Quiet as always, Lon'qu seemed a little lost, unsure of what to do. Whenever Lissa watched the ever-changing landscape and darkening sky outside the carriage, she could feel eyes on her. An aura of confused concern radiated through the carriage, yet no one really spoke to Lissa. _They don't know how to deal with me,_ she thought, her forehead bouncing off the pane over yet another bump in the road. She forced herself to keep looking out at the landscape, watching as mire became forest and forest became foothills.

Soon, the sun had sunk under the horizon, leaving an indigo sky and a barely-discernible landscape to look at. Lissa had been distracting herself with it. She folded her arms around herself and turned inward toward the cabin again. Everyone seemed to have busied themselves, which filled her with a slight sense of relief. Robin was poring over strategies scribbled and diagrammed in the back of a used-up tome while Gaius tied knot after knot into a long length of yarn. Ricken had slid down the bench; his legs now puddled on the floor at awkward angles while his head rested gracelessly against the curve of the bench.

She glanced at Lon'qu last. His head was tipped back and his eyes were closed. His posture was unrelaxed, suggesting that he hadn't quite fallen asleep.

After a moment, she heard Robin's tome close. In the fading light in the carriage, Lissa could just make out the tactician's face as she gazed around. "This is kind of a bad time, but does anyone have food on them? I'm...uh...hungry," she admitted.

With a heavy sigh, Gaius dug into his cloak and withdrew his hand, clenched around a small sack of candies. "I hate to do this, but I am willing to share these." He lightly tossed them at Robin, who scrambled to catch it. "Some of them are saltwater taffy and others are some kind of fruity hard candy. They're emergency rations, so you better appreciate this," he remarked to everyone.

Ricken stirred briefly. "I'm too old for candy," he mumbled.

Robin stuck her tongue out, showing off a peach-colored hard candy, before closing her mouth and shrugging. "If you're fourteen and too old for hard candy, I'm probably ancient, then."

Gaius nudged her. "Me too. We could be grandparents."

Ricken glowered and only pulled the brim of the hat lower.

A faint smile touched Lissa's lips; she took the bag from Robin and grabbed one of the wrapped pieces of taffy. The hard candies were simply stashed in the bottom of the sack willy-nilly, but the taffies, a soft green, were lovingly wrapped by the confectioner who had made them. The wax paper crinkled as she unwrapped it and popped it in her mouth. The salty, over-sweet confection made her feel a little better. "Thanks, Gaius." She passed the bag onto Lon'qu, who took it gingerly.

Gaius noticed this. "Not a fan of sweets?"

"These are foreign to me," he commented. He settled for a taffy as well and unwrapped it with the slow intrigue of a toddler. "What is it made of?"

"Damned if I know, but most of those taffies taste like apples," Gaius responded with a little smile. Lon'qu tossed the bag to Gaius, who caught it and stuffed it back into his cloak.

The myrmidon eyed the taffy and gave it a sniff. Almost simultaneously, Gaius, Robin, and Lissa ordered, "Just eat it already." He rolled his eyes at them and gave Robin a "shut up, woman" before sticking it on his tongue.

After a moment, his face started to screw up, but he chewed on, nonetheless. "I take it you don't like it?" Gaius asked him after he swallowed it.

"It's far too sweet," he commented. Gaius burst into laughter and Robin chuckled. Lissa managed an actual smile. He scoffed but held his hand out. "I'd like one of the hard candies to see if it's also terrible. The Feroxi need to know about it so they never eat it here."

The mood in the carriage had significantly lightened—along with the actual lighting, as Robin had figured out how to make the gas lamps on the walls work. Everyone, aside from a sullen Ricken who was attempting to sleep, ate some of Gaius's emergency stash and attempted to grill Lon'qu about the quality of food in Chon'sin and Ferox, with little results. For a while, Lissa didn't think about Emmeryn or what had happened. As Gaius mocked one of Lon'qu's one-word responses, Lissa gazed over her friends. _I'm happy to have these kind of people in my life,_ she decided, watching Robin burst into laughter and Lon'qu roll his eyes good naturedly at Gaius's quip. She leaned forward, planting her elbows to her legs and resting her face in her hands. _They're good friends, even if they don't always know what to do with me. I'm so lucky._

* * *

Fitting five people into a carriage to sleep certainly proved to have a set of difficulties. When only Ricken had been trying to rest, it had been easy. Now three grown adults and one petite Lissa had to fit into the carriage somewhere. No one had slept, and it showed after that burst of activity seemed to wear off. Gaius kept nodding off onto Robin's shoulder, and Lissa's head kept rolling forward. It would be morning before they arrived in Ferox, and everyone wanted to at least try to sleep.

For Lon'qu, that meant sleeping in close quarters with women, which he despised. It didn't bother him as much with Lissa; he had accepted that she'd grown on him. With Robin, however, it was vile. He appreciated her as a tactician and a warrior, but his gynophobia had been pulsing in his skull with her so close all night. He decided he would do what he had to do.

With some stumbling around, tangled legs, and squeezing, they managed to fit all five people in remotely horizontal positions. Robin had tucked herself into one corner, curled into the fetal position facing the wall, and Gaius was laying on the floor of the cabin, legs bent and shoulders crammed uncomfortably between the seats. Ricken hadn't moved in a while, and remained in the position that made Lon'qu wonder if he truly had bones in his neck. Lon'qu opted to sleep sitting up, his feet pressed to the floor partially under Gaius's legs, and Lissa was curled onto her side nearby.

"I think we figured it out," came Robin's muffled voice. "Speak now or forever sleep in a weird spot."

"If we hit a bump and I fly up to the ceiling and accidentally fall on someone, I'm so very sorry," Gaius muttered, clearly displeased with the position.

With that said, no other words were exchanged, and the cabin fell silent once more, leaving Lon'qu alone with his thoughts.

Their plans concerning Emmeryn had gone horribly awry. After all of their work and effort—the sweat and blood—had been for nothing; now Ylisse was missing an exalt and Lissa was missing her sister.

He gazed over at her, where she lay tightly curled into a ball. In the darkness, he couldn't tell if she was sleeping or not; in fact, he couldn't tell much about her since Emmeryn's death. She was scattered, seesawing between anger and numbness. Even when the carriage had been particularly lively earlier, Lissa had been subdued, her smiles forced. She clearly was suffering, but what could he do? He had to do something, didn't he? But what?

It felt strange to him that he was far more concerned about the impact on Lissa than he was about the political implications of Emmeryn's death.

He tipped his head back and shut his eyes, hoping to sleep and work through these thoughts when he was less tired. The rickety ride over rocky mountain roads didn't lend itself to a comfortable or easily attainable sleep, however. In an almost absurd moment of wistfulness, he missed the bed in the corner of Lissa's room. The rocking of the carriage had found a particular rhythm, and Lon'qu wondered if the ever-allusive sleep would finally get to him—

"Lissa?" came Robin's quiet voice.

He heard Lissa stir next to him, the rustling of stiff, dirty fabric almost unbearably loud in the quiet. Sleep was all but abandoned "Hmm?" she mumbled. Her voice didn't suggest sleep; she seemed stupefied, if anything.

"I want to apologize to you," Robin blurted. With a quiet sigh, she added, "Don't give me that look. I need to apologize. It's been eating at me."

"But you didn't do anything wrong," Lissa insisted groggily.

Only the creak and groan of wood could be heard for about half a minute, before Robin, her voice thick, said, "I could've done everything better. I'm so sorry. I should have planned for archers."

Lissa exhaled, her breath shuddery and uneven. Lon'qu cracked an eye open. She had her knees tucked under her chin as she sat up. Her eyes were screwed shut. "Don't. You've been so important to my brother and me...to...to Emmeryn," she remarked, tipping her forehead onto her knees. She seemed to be on the verge of tears. "Why did this happen?" she breathed.

Lon'qu was annoyed; not with Lissa, but with Robin. _For a tactician, that wasn't particularly tactful._ She wiped at her eyes. "No, Robin," Lissa continued, "you were trying so hard to preserve and protect my family. You all were. I could never be angry at you for doing the right thing."

After a moment, Robin responded, "If...if you need me to do anything at all, please let me know."

Lissa nodded, and they both fell into silence again. Lon'qu glanced across at Robin, who had settled onto her side, facing away from Lissa. Her shoulders were terse and hunched; it seemed she had some of her own demons to deal with. He glanced down at Lissa...who had not at all settled back down. She was still sitting up, her hands pressed over her eyes. She felt his gaze and looked over, quickly wiping at her eyes. "Ah, Lon'qu. S-sorry if I woke you up," she apologized hastily.

He regarded her quietly. "I wasn't asleep."

She turned in his direction, gazing at him sadly. She was backlit by the full moon, soon to disappear behind a mountain peak. "Honestly, I wonder if anyone is sleeping."

"No," came the responses of both Robin and Gaius.

Lissa sighed. "Well, at least we tried."

"Hey, I'm actively trying. Have a heart-felt conversation if you want, but keep it down," Gaius muttered. Lissa hastily apologized to him before scooting closer to Lon'qu.

"Might as well whisper," she retorted.

"Thanks," Gaius responded, leaving Lon'qu and Lissa both nonplussed.

Lissa turned her attentions back to Lon'qu once the carriage fell silent. His eyes burned with exhaustion as he tried to make out her face in the darkness. From the angle, with the moon directly behind her, it was nearly impossible. "It's...it's hitting me so hard, Lon'qu. The thought that she should be with us and she isn't. There's been so much loss," she breathed, her shoulders beginning to shake.

"I'm sorry," was all Lon'qu could say.

Lissa lifted her head. "My parents are gone, and so is Emm. It's just me and Chrom now. What if something happens to him, too?"

"It won't," he murmured.

She ran her fingers through her hair, still clumped with mud and other contaminants. She folded her hands over her knees. "I...I want her back," she choked out, tears clearly threatening to break through. "Why did this happen? Why did we fail so horribly?" Lissa tried to hold back her sobs, leading her shoulders to quake.

Lon'qu didn't know what to do; he froze in place. _Comfort her,_ said a small voice in the back of his head. He reached his hand out tentatively to her and settled it on her shoulder. She laid her hand over his. It was small and cold, trembling as her fingers clenched over his hand. Her shaking calmed, and she rested her head over their layered hands. Lon'qu's heart pounded. Awkwardly, he stroked his thumb across the hollow of her throat, feeling her pulse faintly. Life kicked under his thumb. _She's alive, and I intend to keep her that way._ "I promise to keep protecting you."

"Thank you," she murmured. "And I you. Better than today."

"I survived," was all he responded. He pulled his hand away, but Lissa quickly ensnared it in her own again. "Uh…"

"Just this once? I'll never ask again," she whispered, sniffling quietly.

Lon'qu felt nervousness slowly bubbling in his chest, but he nodded, nonetheless. Lissa gripped his hand and sat quietly in the dark. For a while, it was all she did, and it was all Lon'qu could think about it. Like any contact with her, it both pleased him and terrified him at the same time; her hand slowly warmed in his larger palm. Then, with the hand she was using to hold Lon'qu's, she flipped his hand over and traced his palm absentmindedly with her fingers. She traced the lines in his palm and trailed over scars. His face burned at her ministrations. "Lon'qu?" she inquired, startling him.

"What?" he responded, his voice a touch strained.

"All of this time, you've been guarding me and protecting me. You've had chances to let someone else do it, but you haven't. Why have you kept this up?" she asked, her voice hoarse. Her fingers quit trailing along his palms, and she seemed to be looking at him earnestly. "You don't have to answer, if you want," she added hastily.

His brains addled by her touch, he ducked his head, gazing at the faint outlines of their hands in the darkness. After a moment, he responded, "I'm not certain yet." That was only half-true; he knew he felt _something_ for her, but was it romantic affection or kinship? "When I know...I'll tell you," he added quickly to her tart silence, begrudging the idea of yet another vulnerable moment in the future.

Lissa laughed softly. "I'll hold you to that." She scooted closer to him, simply holding his hand now in both of hers again. "Thank you for caring."

He flexed his hand in hers. If he was comforting to her, he didn't mind the contact. "You're welcome...I think."

Lissa tipped her head back, resting it against the wall of the carriage. Lon'qu, one hand still trapped in Lissa's, did the same. Impressed at his ability to calm her down, he felt some of his confusion about how to act with her ebb away.

* * *

In Ferox, the shepherds were immediately hustled to the baths, their clothes gathered by workers for cleaning. The baths were public and separated by gender, highly different from the bathing situation in Ylisse. Baths were generally taken privately; she supposed that the warlike life of the Feroxi people didn't make having separate bathtubs for everyone a very sensible notion.

 _Am I really getting clean if I'm in the same tub with ten other people covered in dirt and blood?_ Lissa wondered as she scrubbed at a slimy black stain in her hair. In spite of the somewhat oily water, she didn't mind the bathing situation; the water was hot and she had spent the past twenty-four hours rather cold.

However, she felt cold inside. It felt as though her heart was packed deep inside a block of ice, formed from loss and lack of sleep. Every time she was left alone or not being directly engaged with, she felt it form again. Lissa closed her eyes, pausing mid-scrub, and tried to shake the feeling, to no avail. She wondered if it had yet been 24 hours since Emmeryn fell; she'd lost track of time since escaping Plegia.

"Hey, Lissa, toss me the soap. I left it over on your side." Lissa looked over to see Nowi floating on the water, rather carefree as she seemed to perpetually be. The cleric grabbed it and tossed it to the manakete, who shot up a hand to catch it. "Thanks!"

Lissa tried to force a weak smile and failed. Nowi frowned and flipped herself upright. She was clearly standing on tiptoe in the bath; the water was up to her chin as she made her way toward Lissa. "Um, you look pretty sad, so I just wanted to say...it's gonna be okay!" she declared, thrusting one hand out of the water triumphantly. "We'll kick Gangrel's butt."

Lissa's mood further soured. _He kicked our butts; what halidom are you living in?_ Lissa mentally chided the manakete. She forced a smile again and simply said, "Well, we'll see."

She clambered out of the tub, dodging a battered, sweat-stained Flavia as she wrapped herself in a towel. Lissa shook out her hair as best as she could in the common area connecting the women's baths. Where she had left her dirty clothing was a simple gray shift that looked two sizes too large, accompanied by a thick blanket and woolen socks. Lissa pulled the shift on after tugging on the socks, tightening the laces in the front as far as they would go. In spite of this, she still felt as though she was wearing a sack with an overlarge neck hole. She tossed the blanket over her shoulders and held it closed with one hand while holding up her skirts so she wouldn't walk over them.

Before she did anything else, she had to find Chrom. She hadn't seen him since before taking off in carriages yesterday. _That carriage ride._ Her mind wandered to the feeling of Lon'qu's large, warm hand in her small, cold ones and she blushed. Lissa brushed the thoughts away for the time being; they weren't helpful in her situation.

The baths in particular were connected to the vestibule of the large fort just inside the Feroxi border. Lissa joined a number of Ylisseans dressed in similarly drab clothing gathered in a huddle, a few sporting blankets. _Where's Chrom?_ Lissa thought, standing up tiptoe to look over the milling crowd. She could see Frederick, talking earnestly with Sully and Stahl, but no Chrom. Nearest to her was Vaike, whom she nudged with her elbow. "Have you seen my brother?" she asked.

"Yeah, but he went that way," Vaike responded, pointing toward a long hallway, "or I think he did, at least?"

Lissa decided not to question it. She thanked Vaike and trotted off, her damp hair icy against her neck and head; she was grateful for the socks on the stone floor. "Chrom!" she called, tearing past an exceptionally scarred Feroxi woman in the hall. The hall was largely empty, save for a grimacing tabby cat that Lissa sidestepped, and when she reached the end of it, she found herself in what looked to be the equivalent of an Ylissean throne room. She saw Chrom standing at the far end, close to slit windows that scarcely let in the scant sunlight, and Lissa started to call his name—until she cut herself off.

Chrom's head was hanging rather low, his shoulders slumped. _Defeat,_ she thought. He was also dressed in drab clothing, but he still had Falchion buckled at his side. Lissa had left her crumbling stave in the armory. She watched as his hand roamed over the hilt of his weapon...and then it dropped, and once again he stood, far more slumped and small than he'd ever seen him.

Lissa's throat was tight. Chrom rarely showed negative emotion, aside from annoyance with her and confusion at some of his shepherds' odd behaviors. He was strong, humorous, and kind, the sort who never gave up, and now it appeared that he was close to giving up. Her heart, locked in a frozen box, felt as though it was ripping in two somewhere inside of it. She pressed her hand flat against her chest, as if to warn away the impending heartbreak, and called, "Chrom."

He turned, his movements jerky and careless. His eyes met hers from across the room, and he dropped his gaze. "Lissa," he said, sounding listless.

Lissa started walking toward him, but the closer she got the better she could see the grief etched in his features. His face was normally kind, with of goofiness, and the dull sadness in his eyes physically hurt her. Lissa sped up into a trot, and soon she was nearly sprinting at him. She flung her arms around him, bowing her head against his chest wordlessly. He embraced her back almost immediately, securing her tightly to him. He still reeked faintly of blood and sweat, but she supposed that was what happened when one shared a bath with others after a battle. His heart beat strongly in his chest, and Lissa turned her head to listen to it. The steady thump was reassuring. "What are we gonna do?" she whispered.

"I don't know. I...I thought I had it all figured out. I thought Robin and I had the perfect plan," he said, thinly concealed desperation and rage fluttering through his voice. "Lis, everything went wrong."

"Yeah, it...it really did," Lissa said, pulling away, she tugged at her hair gently, watching a few droplets fall to the flower between her feet. She looked up at her brother, whose face now read strongly with shame. Lissa sighed; the sound was shuddering and quiet in the vast room. "Chrom, you guys did everything right. It was those Plegians. They fight so...so dirty…" she trailed off, taking a deep breath to compose herself. "Chrom, whatever we do, we have to stop Gangrel."

"I don't trust myself to do it right," Chrom retorted. He laughed, the sound bitter, which damned near broke her composure. "Here I am. Suddenly Ylisse is entirely in my hands. Emmeryn was so peaceful; did peace die with her?"

"I don't know," Lissa admitted, fiddling with a frayed edge on the blanket.

He sighed, dipping his head. "Neither do I. I don't know that I know anything anymore, Lissa."

Lissa gazed at him before turning it elsewhere, to an earth-toned tapestry hanging on the wall that depicted a brawny warrior woman with an axe in one hand and a scythe in the other. It imbued her with an odd sense of strength. She reached out, resting her hand on Chrom's shoulder. "What I do know is that you've got a lot of people who are rooting for you and who need you to do the right thing," she said, thinking of what Emmeryn would say in this sort of situation.

Lissa took a deep breath again, feeling telltale tears rising from seemingly the bottoms of her feet. "We...we can process what happened when it's all over," she said, more to herself than Chrom. If she kept falling to pieces every time someone said or did something that bothered her, how were they to get anything done?

Chrom met her gaze, nodding slowly. He embraced her again, this time a quick, tight hug that threatened to crush her ribs. After he stepped back, he flicked a few drops of water from his hair, keeping them from further dripping onto his shirt. "I've failed her, but you're right. We can't let this throw us off. We have to stop Plegia. Then...we grieve," he finished, his voice softer than when he began. "I just hope that the shepherds don't hate me for dragging them into this thankless mess."

 _I doubt it. They draw strength from you as much as you draw strength from them,_ Lissa thought, running a hand through her hair. "I also feel like a total failure, if that helps you feel better," Lissa offered, her lips twitching with the ghost of a self-depreciating smile.

Chrom's lips also twitched. "Must run in this family. If we ever have kids, let's not instill that into them."

"Good idea. Not that I ever see myself with a kid," Lissa added, nose wrinkling. After the jesting, the mood once again died, and Lissa took her brother's hand, giving it a firm squeeze. "No matter how bad we're feeling, we have to stop Plegia. And that—" she caught herself from using swearwords learned from Vaike and other uncouth shepherds "—Mad King Gangrel."

"We do." There was a lack of passion in his words; Lissa knew that any upcoming battle with the Plegian forces would be little more than a duty, a thankless, bloody task meant to end a conflict that should never have started. "I think I should speak with my shepherds."

"Yeah," she answered. He began walking away, and Lissa noticed his wrist, still held in a manner that suggested tenderness. Her mind skipped back to the battle yesterday; it struck her as to how short it was and how few Plegians they had fought. "Chrom!" she called, stopping him before he made much progress down the hall.

He turned to look at her. "What?"

"Chrom...what happened at the battle yesterday? Why were there so few Plegians? And why as it so short?" she asked.

Chrom's eyes hooded, and a sad, tiny smile touched his lips. "Emmeryn martyred herself in the name of peace. No one really cared to fight us anymore." The thought punched Lissa in the gut, and Chrom continued on his way back to the shepherds.

"Emmeryn," Lissa murmured, pressing her hands to her forehead. She dropped her hands and gazed at the stony, unfeeling rafters over her head, decorated with banners and wrought-iron chandeliers. Tears threatened to roll down her cheeks once more, but she shook herself free of it. "Emm...you touched their hearts, too."

She returned her gaze to directly in front of her. Sadness dissolving for the time being, she straightened her posture, cracking her back and rolling her shoulders. Negative emotions had weighed her down and made her joints and bones stiff as stone. _In order for us to have peace, I have to fight, just like Chrom and Robin. I need to up arms and fight. Yes, I'm a healer, but I can't let anyone else get hurt, either. Never again._

Taking off down the hallway, Lissa knew it was time to pick up an axe and truly take up the fight.

* * *

 _A/N: Hello, it is I, Mars, and I give you an update that is rather quick for my current speed of writing. I really hope to finish this fic quickly since I have the time right now; it definitely is not going to reach 15 chapters. I hate to break it to you if you were looking for a crazy long fic to read :( We're in the last leg of this fic, and then I think I will be writing some shorter works for Fates after this, and I do have a modern world AU I've been working on with the Lonlissa pairing, but it's in super rough shape right now and I would have to do some massive overhauls to even think about publishing it hehehe._

 _If each chapter could have a genre, this would totally be Hurt/Comfort. I've written a lot of battles/fighting in the past two updates, so this one was a little more...development-related? *shrugs* Next one, the proverbial shit hits the fan once more, so I figured I'd give y'all a reprieve. What does it say about me, that I like writing both violent battle/fight scenes and fluffy bs?_

 _Anyway, I normally use the Master Seal to make Lissa into a Sage, but at least in the context of this fic/at this point in the fic the War Cleric is where it's at for my dear Ylissean princess. All the better to rage-decimate your enemies with, my dear! /s_

 _It's kind of late, and I'm still recovering from a double shift, so instead of embarking on some quality FE discourse, I'll instead thank you guys. So many positive and helpful reviews! You guys lit up my phone all this past week with your subscribes and favorites, too, courtesy of Gmail, and I'm just really flattered and tickled. I'm glad you guys are enjoying this story so far and have put up with my lame author notes as well. It really means a lot to me, like you honestly have no idea._

 _I'm going to sign off here, and remember to not play Pokemon Go and drive at the same time. If you don't have it or don't live in a country that has it yet, just remember to drive carefully anyway!_

 _~Mars_


	11. Chapter 11

The flurry of activity in the Feroxi castle before setting out on the grim march to battle Gangrel left Lon'qu unable to locate Lissa.

 _Thought we discussed not disappearing on me,_ Lon'qu thought to himself after getting a no from Virion in response to Lon'qu's questioning. No shepherd had an idea as to where she was, and Lon'qu silently berated himself. For her to go missing on the day they battled Plegia and aimed to end Gangrel's mad rule once and for all was troubling.

It was when he passed through the throne room, though, that he heard voices from the armory. Most of the shepherds had already visited the armory to pick up their gear; now, with the departure time being in half an hour, the place should have been largely abandoned.

He opened the door, buffeting his nostrils with the stench of sweat-stained leather. The Feroxi armory was a rather undersized room for its purpose, packed to the ceiling with shelves containing nearly every type of weapon under the sun. The voices were clearer now, and he could pick out Khan Basilio's voice. Much to his surprise and his relief, he heard Lissa's as well.

As he approached the back of the room, he heard Basilio declare, "Don't put so much thought into it! Just let your instincts take over!"

"I don't really have instincts for this, but whatever you say!" The sound of an axe burying itself into thick leather hastened Lon'qu's footsteps until he reached the back of the armory, where Basilio stood with a massive practice shield, and Lissa lunged with an axe. He stood, beside the last set of shelves, and froze as he watched.

There was a warlike fire in her eye as she buried the axe into the shield. Where her strokes lacked power, she certainly had speed. Basilio laughed appreciatively as Lissa's blow forced him to take a small step backwards. "That's more like it!" he declared as she brought the axe down once more.

"Thanks," she breathed at him. Taking one last shot, she slung the axe over her shoulders and heaved a heavy sigh. "For the practice, and the axe."

Basilio laughed and clapped a hand on her shoulder. "No problem! You've got important things to do here, missy."

Before Lon'qu could interrupt, he heard Lissa sigh, the softest, saddest noise he'd ever heard from her, and she propped the axe up on the floor. "I know I won't get Gangrel. But I want to protect my friends. Especially Lon'qu," she said, and the admission startled him. "He's...been a good bodyguard for me, and I owe him."

"Hi," Lon'qu blurted, startling both Lissa and Basilio.

Lissa turned to look at him, giving a little wave. "Hey there." She brandished the axe, a long-handled, bronze-headed weapon. "Khan Basilio was kind enough to give me an axe. Does he always refuse payment?"

"It's my job to protect you," Lon'qu said quietly, ignoring her statement.

She nodded. "I understand that, but today, I can't let anyone else get hurt. Or...or killed," she added in a whisper, almost to herself. Pressing her free hand to her gut, she met his gaze, her eyes pleading. "I still have my staff, and I'm still going to heal others and you if needed. I just—"

"It sounds like you're asking permission. Don't do that. It's your choice," Lon'qu responded.

Lissa sighed, relieved. "It sounded like you were challenging me or something."

Basilio cleared his throat loudly, staring at Lon'qu in shock. "Are...are you not afraid of this young lady, boy? You wouldn't let her anywhere near you when you first met Captain Chrom."

"N-no, I'm not," he responded, his cheeks already hot.

Basilio's eyes sparkled. He threw an arm around Lissa's shoulder and gave her a tight side hug. She squeaked in shock. "Don't know what you did, missy, but there's no fear in that boy's eyes!"

"He's just been stuck with me a while. He's been my guard for a few months," she responded, placing emphasis on the word 'stuck' in Basilio's iron grip. He sheepishly released her, and she dusted off her clothing. Lon'qu noticed she was more armored than usual, adding a Feroxi chest plate and thick greaves to her collection. She turned to Lon'qu. "We're leaving soon, aren't we? Are you ready?"

"I should be asking you that. I couldn't find you," he responded.

They headed out of the armory, and he glanced down at Lissa. She was maneuvering the axe into a strap on her back. "Where is your staff?" he asked.

"I left it with Sully. She's been ready to go for two hours and needed something to do, so I told her to babysit my staff," Lissa responded.

The thought of Sully diligently guarding Lissa's beat-up staff was enough to make Lon'qu snort a little. "That sounds like a...very active duty," he responded.

"Hey now, we don't want Tharja taking off with the stone. It's barely attached to the staff anymore. Honestly, if the staff broke in this next battle, I wouldn't be surprised," Lissa retorted. In spite of her lighthearted tone, Lon'qu could feel the deep sadness rolling off of her.

As they reached the front of the castle, where the other shepherds waited, Lissa turned to him. Her eyes lacked their usual glow, and she gazed up at him. "Whatever happens today, I just really wanted to thank you for sticking with me all this time."

He dipped his head. "I won't let you down."

"Hopefully I won't let you down," Lissa responded. She faced forward, gazing at the huge door separating them from the snowy world outside. "Let's go do the right thing, huh?"

 _A little different than "let's get him",_ Lon'qu thought, but he nodded in agreement. "Yes."

* * *

It was strange to Lissa, just how centered she felt in the middle of a fray. With the backdrop of a blood-red sky and ravaged plains, it seemed almost the perfect place to end the reign of a tyrant like Gangrel.

Every movement she made felt as fluid as though it had been planned out hours before battle. Sure, she hadn't truly slept in days, but it mattered little.

She and Lon'qu were caught in a full-out brawl by the river, alongside Sully, Miriel, and Frederick. Emmeryn's sacrifice had driven plenty of Plegians out of the army, but judging by the cuts and bruises sustained during the battle, there were certainly enough to make an impact. "Duck!" she shouted at Lon'qu as a nearby archer fired his bow. The myrmidon dropped, and a fireball from Miriel ended the archer's life.

"Good catch," he complimented her.

"It was all….Miriel!" she grunted, using her new axe to break the lance of a Plegian who was about to retaliate against the mage. Another fireball ended the lance wielder's life, and Lissa tossed her hair. "Does anyone need a healing?"

"No thank you, milady," called Frederick, galloping past her to take down a new batch of archers.

"Nope!" Sully retorted, ducking under an arrow that flew past from said batch of archers.

"At the moment, it is unnecessary," Miriel concluded, flipping to a new page in her tome.

Not long after the brawl began, the area was cleared. Lissa surveyed the vast field; Plegians obscured her view in many directions, but her friends and allies were cutting them down quickly. She heard rapid footsteps approaching her; Lissa whirled, blocking the sword of a Plegian soldier, a straggler of the group they had just vanquished. As she shoved his blade aside, Lon'qu rushed over and quickly finished him. Her mind flashed back to the soldier she had killed prior to Emmeryn's death; she slung the axe over her shoulder and looked around. "Move on?" she asked Lon'qu.

He nodded. Sully, giving Miriel a lift with her horse, followed quickly and outstripped them, disappearing into a mob of sword-wielding Plegians. Mages flocked the group, and Lon'qu pointed his sword at them. "We'll pick them off."

Lissa nodded. "Right."

Lon'qu was doing most of the work with his weapon; Lissa largely protected his vulnerable back. She wasn't powerful enough to do more than dent armor and break bones, but it was enough to protect her partner as he killed the mages. The better she protected him and her allies, the closer they came to ending this maddening, all-consuming war...and the closer her brother would come to slaying Gangrel, once and for all.

The latest group of Plegians was quickly decimated. "Right now, I might need a healing," Sully mumbled from atop her horse. A long slash down her arm bled profusely, forcing Miriel to prop her up in the saddle. Lissa gasped and darted over, changing out her staff for the axe. Her feet slid in the bloody dirty. Stone glowing, the energies flowed into Sully's cut.

"This won't do much for the blood loss, but at least the bleeding is stopped," Lissa told her.

Sully nodded. "Got it. I'm a damned fool for letting it happen in the first place."

Lissa shook her head. The cut was stitched together, the new skin very pink against Sully's sweaty, pale skin. _Healer first,_ Lissa reminded herself. She handed Sully her waterskin. "Remember to drink water. Go find Gaius and see if you can't get some candy; the sugar will help you feel a little less woozy from blood loss."

Sully accepted the waterskin, took a swig, and handed it back to Lissa. "Thanks. I'll keep it in mind."

A lightning bolt flew past and hit the ground no more than a few feet from Lissa. Lon'qu cursed and moved over, while Miriel hopped off of Sully's horse and took off in the direction of the mage. The toes of her boots flowed over with blood, and she had to throw her arms out for balance as she ran off after the enemy.

"They don't give up, do they," Lissa muttered to herself with a sigh. She turned, her hand reaching for her axe, but she froze. Her eyes locked onto a target charging for Lon'qu, who was facing the other direction to hunt down the mage that had shot a stray bolt of lightning in their direction. The man was brandishing an iron sword. "Lon'qu!" she shouted, but there was no way he'd act in time; his feet were in the slick mess of blood and shattered metal. She sidestepped the mess and threw herself in front of Lon'qu, staff in front of her body. The metal creaked and snapped in half, forcing the blade askew.

On pure instinct, she kicked out, striking the soldier in the knee and knocking him over. "Don't hurt my friends, you jerk!" she yelled down at him.

The soldier grunted and tried to scramble to his feet again—a massive fireball struck him, defeating him. Lissa looked up wildly to see Miriel, standing no more than ten yards away. "Your staff!" she shouted to Lissa.

She looked down at the broken halves of the magical item in her hands. Sparks flew between the broken halves, but the light in the blue gemstone was quickly fading away to nothing. Lissa suddenly felt the world grow still, as her hands ached from the shock of the blow. It wasn't uncommon for the gem to lose energy after too many healings; however, for the staff itself to break, Lissa had to acknowledge how reckless her usage of it has been. Dropping her hands, she sighed. Broken metal dangling at her side, her head dropped. "I used it for the wrong purpose. I suppose this just figures, huh."

The odd stillness was broken by a hand grabbing her shoulder roughly, dragging her around to face none other than Lon'qu. "What the hell was that?" he demanded. The cool mask he always wore disappeared, replaced with an almost violent anger.

Her emotions running high in response to Lon'qu's, Lissa tossed the broken halves of the staff aside. Snapping her gaze up to Lon'qu, she folded her arms over her chest. "I was protecting you!" she blurted. "I promised that I would, didn't I?" she added more quietly.

He seemed taken aback, the emotions running from his face. Lissa felt angry tears clogging her throat again, but she swallowed them down and retrieved her axe from her back, the item that she should have defended her bodyguard and friend with. The setting sun cast Lon'qu's eyes in a surprisingly soft shade of brown, and he looked away from her. "Uh. You said you'd protect all your friends."

"Aren't you included in that? You mean a lot to me, you know" Lissa responded. Gazing past Lon'qu at the war that was still raging, she noticed Miriel and Sully had already taken off after another cluster of mages and archers heckling the shepherds. "Come on. I think we have places to be."

"R-right," Lon'qu responded.

Without her staff, Lissa focused far more heavily on helping her fellow shepherds clear out the remaining soldiers. "Where's your staff?" she heard more than once as she rushed across the field.

"Broken!" she would retort. Neither Maribelle or Libra had a staff to spare; it was the one thing they had not really been able to stock up on in Ferox.

She noticed, as the battle raged on, that Lon'qu, though always aggressive toward enemies, really threw himself into the fray, a strange emotion bleeding through the cracks in his mask. Lissa tried to match it, using her axe to break weapons and jam plate armor, but her limited practice in comparison to Lon'qu's years of work paled her impact mightily. _What has him so motivated?_ Lissa thought as she broke the lance of a knight in half with a violent chop of the axe.

Another area was cleared, and Lissa looked up. Her heart clenched; they were so very close to Gangrel's fort. The red light of the setting sun cast it into silhouette. _How fitting. The sun is setting on that bastard._ Chrom, accompanied this time by Robin and Frederick, charged at the fort, weapons cutting down enemies. Lissa felt desensitized to their brutal efficiency. She nudged Lon'qu as they approached the castle themselves. "We're going to win, aren't we?" she remarked to him.

"He has nowhere else to run. That fort is almost surrounded," Lon'qu agreed. It was true; the shepherds were closing in, faces grim and weapons at ready. The weasel of a man could not escape his fate.

Instead of relief at the impending end of the war, a strong pulse of trepidation fired through Lissa's body, making her joints ache. _What will become of all of us now?_ Lissa thought. The entrance into the fort had been blasted open, likely by Robin's magic.

Lissa, who had been walking previously, started trotting. She had to see the end of the man's tyranny herself. As she began to hear shouts from the fort, Lissa's trot turned into a sprint. The event had to be seen for herself. She had to see Chrom, Robin, or Frederick end the man's murderous reign. Lon'qu called for her to wait, but she found herself sliding to a halt in the entryway, pulling herself close to the side of the entrance.

Gangrel, with his strange, crooked sword, stood in the middle of the fort, his chest heaving. His clothes were burned and blood oozed from wounds sustained in combat. The Mad King suddenly seemed so small, was barely standing. His laughter rang weakly as he lifted the sword again. "Y-you...children...shall not best me. Shall not...best Plegia," he wheezed.

Lissa's gaze flitted to Chrom. He was also ragged, covered with more burns from magic than from a sword. _Gangrel must have a magic sword,_ Lissa decided as Chrom lifted Falchion again. "It didn't have to be like this, Gangrel."

Gangrel laughed his insane laugh and brandished the sword; Chrom barely dodged the lightning bolt that shot out of it. Lissa's breath caught as Robin jogged over to support the prince. She stared at Gangrel with frigid hatred as she helped Chrom find his footing again. "That's enough." She separated herself from Chrom and opened her tome, an Elthunder, and fired a pulse of lightning. It hit Gangrel, and he collapsed to his knees, gasping. "This ends today."

He staggered to his feet, his sword at ready, but Chrom was already moving. Before Gangrel could as much as brandish his sword, Chrom was in front of him. For Lissa, the world slowed. The sun dipped below the edge of the fort. Its light inched across the scant grass, which caused Chrom's blade to flash as it arced through the air. He was shouting; Gangrel's face was painted with shock. The blade entered Gangrel, and the world seemed to speed up again, as Chrom tore his sword loose from the man's body and let him fall. His chest rose and fell heavily, and he took a few steps back before dropping Falchion. He gazed up at the sky, his face reading with a strong sense of self-disgust.

Lissa found her voice. "Chrom!" she sprinted across the courtyard to her brother. He looked up at her, slowly, his eyes ghostly. She reached to embrace him, and her arms fell to her sides when she noticed the defeat in his eyes. Instead, she rested her forehead against his bare arm, not caring that her forehead was smearing with his blood. "It's over," she whispered.

"Lissa," he breathed.

She pulled her head away from his arm. She gazed at Gangrel's dead body. In death, he seemed a normal man, no longer the monster she had seen him as. Seeing him, crumpled on the ground, Lissa suddenly felt an immense exhaustion. She crouched, picked up Falchion, and held it out to Chrom. "Don't forget that," she said, trying to smile, but her motivation to stay sane was gone. In the absence of a now-completed goal, Lissa felt her emotions threatening to rise. This time, there was nothing to hold back the grief of her sister's loss, nothing more that had to be done, and tears sprang to her eyes. Before she knew it, she was crying, Falchion shaking in her hands. Chrom took it back, sheathed the weapon, and took his sister into his arms tightly as she cried, under the ruby red Plegian sky.

* * *

It barely registered for Lissa that they were back in Ylisstol. In spite of its sacking, the integrity of the homes, gardens, and public buildings was largely uncompromised. _They probably just wanted to get in and get out,_ she thought as she wandered up the street. Ylisseans had gathered along the street to pay their respects to the shepherds for ending the war.

Lissa had wrapped herself in a blanket from the convoy, in spite of the warm weather. Lon'qu was walking close to her; they'd barely spoken during the march. She'd spent half of it silently crying; her eyes ached and her sides and throat ached from dehydration. The tears hadn't stopped flowing until she was dehydrated.

"Lissa." She looked up to see Robin walking on the other side of her. "You look a little warm."

"I just want to get to the castle," she murmured.

Robin ruffled her hair, matted with blood, dirt, and sweat. "We all do. Hang in there." She trotted back to check on other shepherds during their march, and Lissa fell into silence once more.

They approached the huge stairs leading to the top of the castle. Stained with blood and decorated with broken weapons, they scarcely looked inviting. Her earlier desire to return died at the thought of the loss the castle guard had experienced. Before she could police her thoughts, Lissa muttered, "Don't wanna go there."

"Are you talking to me?" Lon'qu asked, startling Lissa.

She shrugged. "Don't know."

She felt a hand rest briefly on her shoulder before falling away. "I'm sorry."

Lissa gently touched his forearm in response. She didn't know that she had any more words to say at this point. As the shepherds walked up the steps, Lissa braced herself for whatever she was about to see in the castle and for the impending pain. The crest of the stairs neared, and Lissa faltered. She forced herself to keep going, hopping a few steps to keep up with Lon'qu. He paused on a step, waiting for her. "Thank you," she murmured to him.

At the top, Lissa froze. Shattered weapons and broken glass scattered the group, but the castle itself was again relatively unharmed. Lissa walked, almost robotically, to the entrance of the castle. The doors were intact but forced open and off of their massive hinges. "I...I hope the castle staff are okay," she whispered to Lon'qu.

As the approached the door, Lissa saw a familiar face. The maid who lost her arm stood there, stump wrapped carefully in bandages, accompanied by a motley crew of other injured guards, cooks, and butlers. Lissa felt a relieved smile push her lips into a slight curve, and as she approached, the maid she had treated gave her a modified curtsy. "Miss Lissa!"

"You're...up and around. Good to see," Lissa rasped, returning the gesture.

"We tried to clean up in here as much as possible," she said, her expression suggesting a prolonged, painful process. Her eyes sad, she added, "I'm so sorry about Emmeryn."

Lissa gave her a nod. She felt a slow burn behind her eyes, but she had no more tears to cry. "I-it's okay," she stuttered.

After a search of the castle and a debriefing from Robin in the vestibule, Lissa headed toward her room. The castle's inside was largely spotless, obviously painstakingly cleaned for the return of Chrom and Lissa. With a jolt, she realized they had likely expected Emmeryn to return, too. _But she didn't._ She struggled to push the door open to her room, finding it in the state she had left it, and threw herself onto the covers. Her axe was still strapped across her back and armor pushed itself against her sternum and back, but she didn't care.

Minutes or hours later, she didn't notice, she heard the door open. "You need to drink," came Lon'qu's voice. She lifted her head off the pillow, noticing a throbbing headache. She nodded in agreement, taking what looked to be a tin cup of water from Lon'qu's hands, and sipped at it slowly. "Also, you should take off your armor if you are going to lay down for prolonged periods of time."

"Isn't it usually me telling you that?" Lissa muttered, but she complied. She removed the axe from her back and began unbuckling armor. Tossing it unceremoniously onto the floor, Lissa rolled her shoulders and kicked off her boots as well. Her body felt lighter with the removal of the armor. She sat cross-legged on the bed, sipping away at the water. "Thank you," she said to Lon'qu, who settled at the foot of her bed.

She watched him over the rim of her cup for a moment. Setting it aside, she drew her knees to her chest and rested her chin on them. "Lon'qu...I don't know that you'll want to sleep in this room for a while. When I'm not dehydrated, I'll probably cry again," she admitted.

"If you want me to leave, let me know," he responded.

Lissa sighed. "But if I start crying, you can go ahead and leave. I know it's awkward." She untucked herself from her ball and laid on her side. "Honestly, right now, I just want to sleep for years."

"Then sleep," he encouraged her. He stood up and moved toward his own bed. "I...will likely do the same."

They settled into their beds, still clothed, when Lissa's eyes began to close. "Lon'qu?"

"Yes?" he responded.

"You're really good to me, you know that, right?" she murmured.

The phrase seemed to catch him off guard. It took him a moment to respond, "I don't know who would willingly be bad to you."

"I think Emm really appreciated what you've been doing for me," she added drowsily. She was drifting toward sleep, but she managed to add, "and so do I. You're a good man, Lon'qu." Lissa was out before she could hear Lon'qu's response. Her sleep was a void, free of dreams and sentiments, the only place where the thought of Emmeryn was not pervading her thoughts.

* * *

 _A/N: Hello, it is I, Mars. This is a lil bit of a shorter update for you here today; I kept deleting and restarting, and this was my end result. I hope it turned out okay! I have a rather long section written that would have made this update about 9,000 words, and I try to keep them in the ballpark of 4,000-7,000, so we're starting the next chapter with that._

 _So I've been doing the pit for a musical and that has absorbed a large amount of my time outside of work lately, and it's also stressful as hell because the cast is driving me nuts. I forget how difficult musical theatre people can be to work with until I'm doing the pit again and realize "Oh damn. Joe the lead is a jerk. Didn't this happen last year too?" Blah blah blah ignore me a bit of a vent-y rant there. The pit group chat is lit, though, and we have a lot of fun, so I can't really complain._

 _It's been difficult writing sad Lissa. She's my sweet sunshine child and I wish nothing but the best for her; soon things will turn around again and some happiness (and obviously love) are going to come back into her life. Lon'qu needs an introspective chapter, too, now that I think about it. Not sure he's entirely the introspective sort but everyone's gotta look at themselves sometime._

 _I'm going to leave this off here, because I have to head to rehearsal..._

 _Keep your eyes peeled for the next update, and I hope you all have a lovely day!_

 _Sincerely,_

 _Mars_


	12. Chapter 12

It almost seemed to be an insult that the sun was shining on the day of Emmeryn's service.

Less than a week and a half after Gangrel was killed, a private ceremony, attended by royals, was held in honor of Emmeryn's life. "Far too short," was a phrase commonly heard with heads shaking, eyes directed low to the ground.

It seemed a shame that on a day where everyone remained entrenched in grief, the service was held in the courtyard, blooming with a rainbow of irises and wild roses. _Emm's favorites,_ Lissa thought as the final prayer of the service closed. How misfitting it was that everyone had donned black when the courtyard seemed a fertile Eden.

Very few shepherds had attended the service, aside from those who had worked closely with Emmeryn; such as Frederick, overseer of her younger siblings, Robin, a strategist and a good friend, Cordelia, one of very few remaining pegasus knights, and Vaike and Sully, close childhood friends of Chrom. The others were on guard duty for the service due to the short staffing of the castle, leaving Lissa without Lon'qu.

The myrmidon had been a quiet, supportive force over the past week, especially as her brother silently dealt with the pain in his own way. Chrom spent hours alone with practice swords, whittling away at training dummies until he dropped from exhaustion, or he laid alone in the tall grasses at the backside of the castle-that is, if he wasn't at meetings. A warrior and soldier by nature, Chrom was now the leader of Ylisse. Lissa barely managed to get in a word with him; he hadn't been able to manage it.

Not that Lon'qu had been much better as company, but he had been willing to listen to her prattle on or walk around the grounds with her. Today was the first time he'd truly left her side for a while, and Lissa shifted uneasily, missing the company.

Above all, her heart felt as though it was about to rip itself from her chest. She missed Emmeryn, and as the prayer ended, the phrases she heard made her heart hammer harder and faster in her chest.

"I suppose this leaves Chrom in charge?"

"Hopefully this kingdom will retain its level of prosperity."

"This will certainly harm diplomacy with other countries in the future."

Lissa narrowed her eyes, clenching her hands tightly into her skirts. _My sister is gone,_ she wanted to say. She wanted to clutch at someone's sleeve and beg them to listen to her. _Remember her love and her kindness. Remember what she meant to us beyond just being the Exalt!_

She felt her breath speeding up, a weird sense of panic at the political comments of the nobility around her. Lissa pushed through the masses, toward the edge of the garden, feeling tears threaten to roll down her cheeks once more. She was tired of crying; her face constantly stung with salt, but the dark, pent-up emotions still writhed just beneath her skin.

Lissa burst out of the crowd, finding herself standing at the edge of a patch of delicate white irises. Their petals were almost too bright to look at. Lissa's memory flashed back to Emmeryn, perhaps a year ago, standing beside her in this same flowerbed. The flowers at that time were nearly finished blooming, and Emmeryn was wandering quietly through the garden with her younger sister tailing her ever so faithfully.

 _Do you see this iris, Lissa? It's one of my favorites._ Her hand had rested gently on Lissa's shoulder, squeezing it affectionately. _Next year, when they're at their loveliest, we should press one or two, wouldn't you agree?_

The memory stung, and Lissa clutched at herself, at the heavy black fabric of the mourning dress that burned in the heat of the sun. Just as panicky grief was about to set in, she felt a hand settle on her shoulder, much like one did when Emmeryn stood near her in these very flowers. "Hey, Princess."

Lissa was startled and looked up to find Gaius, giving her his lopsided smile. He dropped his hand and shoved both in his pockets. "Uh, Gaius. Hi. To...to what do I owe this visit?" Lissa asked, trying to act as her usual cheerful self.

He rested his hand against the small of her back and guided her around the rose garden. Surprised, Lissa glanced up at him, trying to blink the wateriness from her vision. He glanced down at her and muttered, "You look like you're gonna fall apart there, Princess. Let's take a walk, why don't we?" After a moment's pause, he also glanced across the courtyard to meet the glance of Robin. "Also Robin told me to go do something or she'd kick my shin."

"Absolutely savage, that one," Lissa muttered, earning a chuckle from Gaius.

They exited the courtyard and stood in the long passageway connecting the north face of the outer wall to the rest of the castle. The breeze whistled through the arches that decorated the passage, and Lissa felt a massive sense of relief after standing in the hot sun. She perched herself on the sill of an open arch, watching as Gaius settled himself on the ground near her. "So, haven't seen you around much, Princess," he remarked. "How are you holding up?"

"Well I don't cry in public, so I'm...okay, I guess?" Lissa responded, rolling up the sleeves of the dress. She thought of her tutors telling her how indecent it was to do such a thing and how little she had cared for their notions of femininity. "Just gotta pull through this and think about how hard Chrom has it. Suddenly he's the leader of this kingdom."

"Hey, you both lost your sister. No need to act like it's somehow less just because you're not leading Ylisse," Gaius retorted, gazing up at her with a slight narrowing of his eyes.

Lissa sighed and tucked herself into the arch, planting her feet against the wall opposite her. The wind tugged at hair that was piled on top of her head, a hostage to pins and dense products. "I miss her," she murmured, toying with a thread on the end of her sleeve. "I want to ask her what I should do right now, for Chrom and for my people and for my friends, but...yeah. I can't really do that, now can I."

She felt a small, hard object drop into her lap. "Well, if you ever feel like talking it out, Robin is good at that. And I like to think I'm an okay listener." She retrieved a lemon drop, wrapped in bright green wax paper from her lap. Lissa smiled a little as Gaius tossed another at her. "I'm not really sure what else to say, so take some of my stash. I owe you some, anyway; Chrom gave me a whole bag meant for you when I first joined the shepherds."

"Just some caramels are fine. Soft ones, though! Not those hard ones that old women like!" Lissa said, pointing at him fiercely. They made eye contact and burst out laughing; Lissa felt the cloud of sadness dispel for the time being. She reached out and ruffled his ginger locks affectionately, making the thief grin. "Really though, thank you, Gaius. You're a good friend."

A moment later, Lissa heard a loud throat clear. She looked up to see Lon'qu standing at the end of the passage, his figure obscured largely in shadow. "Uh….Gaius. We need to switch out. Captain's orders."

Gaius raised an eyebrow. "I'm on duty, though."

"Working rather hard, obviously," Lon'qu responded, his tone dry. Lissa stifled a snort of amusement. Gaius scrambled to his feet, rather offput by the myrmidon's tone, and tossed Lissa one last lemon drop before disappearing from the passageway.

Lissa looked up, squinting against the shaft of sunlight that filtered through the arch she was sitting beneath. "Hey, you. He and I were talking."

Lon'qu didn't make much of a sound, simply standing shadowed outside of the sunbeam. Lissa sighed and settled into her place, kicking off her shoes as best as she could. "Well, the company is appreciated anyway." She closed her eyes, and after a few moments, still heard no movement. Opening one eye balefully, she found Lon'qu still standing there. Lissa huffed and sat up, planting her bare feet on the cold stone floor. "Hey, seriously. What's going on?"

"Nothing," said a voice that clearly desired to say something else. As Lissa stood and walked over to him, he turned away.

Lissa sighed and pushed her sleeves up further. "Right. What's going on?"

"Nothing. Just walk with me," he said, his voice terse. "Please."

Lissa shrugged, unsure of what was on his mind. "Sure. Let me change first; I'm too warm."

She followed him out of the passage. What was he thinking? What was bothering him?

It had hit him, suddenly, as Lon'qu watched Gaius's hand settle onto Lissa's back. It had hit him hard, like a right hook to the jaw, and it left him spinning. He balled his hands into fists, fighting to keep his composure, as understand began to wash over him.

* * *

From a distance, over the heads of the Ylissean crowd, he saw the hand on her back, a comforting, oddly intimate move, and an intense burn had started low in his gut, much like it had a few times before-this time, it was stronger than before and so hot it almost felt cold.

In a moment of clarity, Lon'qu understood that he was extremely jealous whenever Gaius—or any unrelated male—showed too much friendliness toward her. But why was he jealous? Why did he want so badly to take their place?

He tried to brush it off. Gaius clearly was just trying to be a good friend, like Lon'qu had been for the past few weeks. _Friend._ Lon'qu questioned that word, frowning as he leaned against the stone wall of the courtyard. _Is that all I think of her as? A friend?_

Lon'qu shook his head hard, dispelling those thoughts. He had to take these thoughts one step at a time, even though part of him already knew what he didn't want to admit.

He saw Gaius give her a look, meet her gaze, and Lon'qu's brush off failed. It was time to go find Lissa again—for what reason? Perhaps no reason. His stomach churned as he peeled away from the wall and went to find Lissa.

Presently, as he tailed her through the castle, Lon'qu felt vaguely nauseous. He didn't want to look at her narrow figure, the pale gold of her hair, the energy that never quite left her step. He didn't want to think about her voice, reaching his ear, or about her much smaller, warmer hands reaching for his. Most of all, he didn't want to think about how fearlessly she looked to him, and how curious and funny she was, in spite of everything that had happened in past days.

"Lon'qu?" He nearly jumped out of his skin as Lissa looked back at him. "You've been...quiet. Well, quieter than usual. Are you sure you're okay?"

He scrambled for an explanation. In a facade of nonchalance, he shrugged. "I'm well. It's too warm here."

"I normally don't have that problem, but here I am, in all black. Mourning black is not a great idea in the summer," Lissa remarked with a sigh, tugging at the neckline of her dress. She gave a huff as they got to the top of the stairs. "Wait out here. I'm going to find something that doesn't violate mourning colors that doesn't weigh 40 pounds." She closed the door behind her, and Lon'qu let his emotions out for a moment, allowing himself to anxiously drum his fingers against his legs while shifting his weight from foot to foot. She gave him such a nervous energy; why had he asked her to take a walk with her? He might as well have demanded it of her, too.

After a few minutes, Lissa reappeared with a scoff, throwing the door open. "It was difficult, but I found this." She was garbed entirely in gauzy gray, her feet clad in boots once again. "Let's walk, Lon'qu. I think it may do us a bit of good; you look stressed out."

"I am _not_ stressed out," Lon'qu muttered, although she was absolutely correct in her line of thinking.

They exited the castle out the back and wandered into the forests that ran parallel to both the barracks and Ylisstol's most iconic building. The breeze smelled remarkably sweet, like baby's breath and wild roses, and the rustling of the leaves was almost therapeutic. Lon'qu felt his pulse slowing and his anxiety levels dropping. Worrying about his feelings for Lissa was something he could do at a different time; for now they could enjoy the forest in silence or with chatter. He didn't care which.

They walked slowly through the forest, along a path trampled into place from shepherd training drills. Lissa chuckled. "I remember when I was younger and still figuring out my class, Frederick had me run a lap through here. He had this idea that I might be some kind of sword fighter, like my brother, but between my lack of speed and lack of sword skills...well that didn't work out, obviously," she babbled, running her hand along a long score in the bark of a yew tree. "I wonder if he knew I'd take up an axe someday. I never had the will to fight until all of this started."

"Things change," Lon'qu remarked.

She nodded, glancing sidelong at him. "That much I know."

 _Was that aimed at me? Does she know?_ Lon'qu thought, but he swallowed his rising nervousness. He separated himself from her, shoving his hands fiercely into his pockets and staring at the foliage-littered ground beneath his feet.

Lissa stretched, causing the neckline of her dress to bunch and reveal the hollow at the base of her throat. He thought of his thumb brushing across it that night in the carriages, and his face grew remarkably hot. She caught his gaze on her and looked at him, her feet slowly coming to a halt on the trail. He stopped, finding himself ensnared in her eyes. "Lon'qu," she said, a soft smile touching her lips. She fiddled with a strand of hair that fallen free from its style. She rested against the tree behind her and gazed upward at the green canopy overhead. "I just wanted to thank you for really looking after me over these past weeks. I'm sorry I haven't been too chatty or anything. I...I'm just glad you've been here. You're a good friend."

He stiffened. Hadn't she said that to Gaius, too? Lon'qu nodded curtly to her, and her face fell a bit. "Lon'qu, is...something bothering you?"

"No. Of course not. Let's keep going," he responded.

"No, there's definitely something bothering you," she pressed, stepping away from the tree to approach him. She was too close; she smelled of mint today, of bathwater scented with overripe fruit and roses, and he had to draw back. Lissa scoffed. "You're acting like it's the first day we met again. What happened? We've _touched_ each other. Shared secrets. Like what is your thought process here, Lon'qu?" she demanded, an odd desperation filling her eyes.

He was about to open his mouth to respond, but he heard movement and the strain of a bowstring. Hunting was outlawed in this woods; it had to be….

His eyes widened. He heard the release of the strained string, a quiet twang, and he shouted "Lissa, down!" He threw himself in front of her, nearly knocking her over in the process, and his chest exploded with pain. He looked down to see the shaft of an arrow sticking out just under his left collarbone. It hurt, but he didn't feel woozy.

Lissa let out a horrified gasp. "Lon'qu, your chest—!"

"Go hide. Now. It's the assassins." He drew his sword. _How dare these people go after Lissa?_ He thought, brandishing his sword with his right arm. "I'll kill them all with one hand."

Lissa nodded hastily, her face pale and greenish, and scrambled to hide in the underbrush. She even covered herself partially in fallen leaves and pulled twigs and branches overself, making it difficult to discern her from the forest itself. When he was certain she was hidden enough, he marched into the woods, arrow still sticking out of his upper left chest and his sword hand brandishing a keen Killing Edge with dexterity.

He stood, partially concealed from the angle the first arrow had come from and listened. He heard the movement of at least six different people, and two different bowstrings. They had hoped to simply shoot Lissa down, did they? There was no way he would allow that. He heard the movement of a heavy warrior, perhaps a fighter, nearby, and he snapped into action, ready to kill those who would hurt Lissa.

* * *

Lissa laid silently in terror, listening to the occasional groan of pain and the twang of a bowstring. Her arms itched from the leaves covering her, but there were people trying to kill her!

She thought of the bow through Lon'qu's left chest and how little it fazed him. How quick he'd been to guard her, stepping in front of her to protect her from it. _Moments earlier, he'd been agitated with me,_ she thought, doing her best to keep her breathing from getting too loud. She had no weapon on her, not even a staff. Knowing that the plot was still out there, why did she ever go anywhere without a weapon?

She heard a scream of pain, and Lissa prayed it was not Lon'qu's voice. _He's going through this for me,_ Lissa thought, her heart pounding painfully in her chest. _I can't believe this._

Though it likely only took minutes, the noises of fighting and surprise went on for what felt like hours as she laid, covered in decaying plant matter. She hardly dared to breathe. Lissa even willed her heart to slow? What if her would-be assailants were some kind of inhuman beasts, like the Risen? More animal than human?

 _What if they kill Lon'qu?_ Lissa's blood went cold. He was injured and went off to fight six against one; how was this supposed to end well for him? What if he got killed? What was she supposed to do without a weapon and limited training?

As her thoughts raced, she barely noticed that the sounds of fighting had stopped. She closed her eyes against the deceptively peaceful green canopy, face scrunched, and prayed that Lon'qu would be safe.

"It's over." Lissa nearly screamed before her eyes snapped open, staring up at Lon'qu who's chest heaved. Relief flooded through her at the sight of him. He was marred with cuts and abrasions, and the arrow in his chest made his blood ooze into a livid stain on his chest, but he seemed largely unharmed for it. Lissa scrambled to her feet, dusting the leaves and twigs off of herself and threw herself at him, embracing him fiercely. He staggered under her affection, backwards into a nearby tree. "Lissa—"

"You're safe," she murmured, her head pressed into the center of his chest. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry you had to do that, Lon'qu." She pulled away, not caring about the stains from his blood on her clothes. She looked at the arrow, which left his non-dominant hand dangling rather uselessly. "I...I need to heal you. We have to get back to the castle."

Lon'qu looked down at her, something odd in his expression, but he nodded. Lissa pressed herself against him, helping him support his weight as he walked out of the forest. "The arrow I won't take out because it's holding in a large amount of blood right now, and I don't want you to bleed out on me because that would be horrible for both of us. And it looks like it might've hurt your left arm and I'm sorry—"

"Lissa." She stopped rambling and looked up at him. Though he seemed pain, now that the adrenaline rush was starting to wear off, his voice was earnest as he said, "I would do it for you again if I had to."

Lissa blushed and looked away. "Well...you sure saved me," she managed to say, her body burning where their bodies made contact. "I...I can't thank you enough for that. I don't even know how to go about thanking you."

"Thank me by healing me," Lon'qu said, his voice so pragmatic that Lissa had to chuckle.

"Right. That," Lissa responded, her laughter still nervous.

At the castle, they reached the back door, where a rather familiar individual stood. Sniffling indignantly, a young guard, equipped with an axe, stood eyeballing Lissa and her beat-up bodyguard. "Miss Lissa, I see you've brought a friend with you," he drawled, digging in his pockets for his handkerchief. "I find it suspicious that he's so...beat up." He squinted harder and gasped. "It's Mr. Lonky You!"

"Yes, and Mr. Lonky You needs to get inside because he has an arrow inside him," Lissa said, her patience already wearing thin with the young guard. "Do you not see it?"

The guard squinted at Lon'qu, his eyes roaming over him before finally settling on the shaft of the arrow sticking through his chest. "Oh. Uh...that's the backside of an arrow, ain't it? Sorry, I'm thinking I need some glasses, too."

Lissa groaned and let go of Lon'qu, stomped up to the guard, and shoved the door open behind him. She pointed sideways, and the guard cowered, slinking off to the side. Lissa returned to Lon'qu and helped him toward the door. "You are so lucky I don't have my axe with me," she muttered walking past him.

She heard the guard offer helpfully, "I can offer you mine!"

Lissa shot a glare over her shoulder that silenced him, and he shut the door. Lissa sighed heavily and shuttled Lon'qu to the infirmary. She didn't immediately notice Maribelle, who stared in shock at the sight of the bloodied myrmidon. Lissa sat him on a bed, grabbed a nearby bowl of water and a wayward staff, and stood before Lon'qu, rolling up her sleeves again. "Alright, Lon'qu, we're getting this arrow out. And, uh, Maribelle, pardon my language, but this is going to hurt like a bitch."

* * *

Lon'qu lay in a cold sweat, still aching horribly from Lissa yanking the arrow from his wound. She had cut off the head that jutted through his back, but even then the wood being pulled from his body had been enough to make him nauseous. He lay shirtless in on the bed, feeling unbearably hot in spite of his situation, as Lissa worked on a long gash from his arm. Chrom had run in, demanding to know what had happened, but Lissa had refused to stop working on Lon'qu to explain. "Give me an hour! I'll tell you then, but it's taken care of. Now shoo!" she'd demanded with enough ferocity to send her brother scrambling.

Maribelle had helped out, providing clean rags and finding Lissa a fresh staff when her hawked one had run out. Aside from the initial surge of blood from his wound, however, Lissa had needed very little help healing Lon'qu's injuries. "You're certainly a talented fighter. You took on six guys and came away with some cuts. Also I'll bet you Gaius's candy stash that you're going to have some lovely bruises tomorrow, and maybe a nice black eye to boot," Lissa remarked as she dabbed a slick sheen of blood from Lon'qu's arm.

He stiffened upon hearing Gaius's name. Lissa raised an eyebrow. "Am I hurting you?"

 _Yes, but not with your healing._ "Not at all," he responded.

"You have to tell me if I am," she said, and it was obvious she meant something beyond her care of him.

It was in that moment that Lon'qu realized he didn't even mind that she was touching him. He wasn't scared of her in the least. After a stretch of silence that accompanied Lissa's bandaging of one of his wounds, she slowly said, "You know, Gaius is a friend."

 _How did she know?_ "Uh, what?"

"I don't know what you're thinking, but you've gotten standoffish about Gaius. He's just a friend. He and Robin are flirting, anyway." She settled back, admiring her handywork. She gave him a wry smile, her eyes a touch watery, and folded her arms over her chest. "Besides...I suppose you're done guarding me. That plot was thwarted, and the Plegians were kicked. No need to be overprotective now," she said.

The thought hit Lon'qu. The plot _had_ been thwarted, hadn't it? He had done what he sent out to do months ago: protect Chrom's younger sister from some kind of attempt on her life. He sighed and closed his eyes. At the start, he had dreamed of this day, prayed for it to become a reality, but now he felt strangely empty. "I...I suppose," he remarked, opening his eyes to see her expression.

She gave a smile that was a bit watery. Her hair had fallen largely out of her updo now, falling messily about her shoulders. "It's been fun, you know. I don't want to say let's do this again sometimes, because you've ended up like this," she paused, gesturing up and down the full length of his body, "but I'd like to spend more time with you. It's just…." She trailed off and turned away, smoothing her skirt.

Lon'qu tried to sit up, but his body ached too much. He relented and leaned back into his bed again. "Lissa?" he asked, noticing her shoulders shaking.

She turned to him, her eyes clearly red. "Oh, it's nothing," she responded with a weak chuckle, wiping away at her eyes. Lissa stood, pushing her chair away. "I'm going to talk to Chrom soon. You should rest; I'll send someone with food for you. You lost blood and you need to replenish." Before she left, she walked toward the head of Lon'qu's bed and leaned over. Her eyes still watering, she leaned in and kissed his cheek. As she pulled away she whispered, "Thank you so much."

Lon'qu tried once again to sit up, his entire face feeling aflame, and didn't quite have the strength to do it. He felt a deep shock rush through him. _What was that?_ He thought, laying there. He resisted the urge to touch his cheek and turned over onto his right side with a groan.

Laying on that cot, beaten to hell, he thought of Lissa, and it was then that he allowed himself to admit it. It shouldn't have been possible, but there he was: he loved her. The feeling flooded through him, a soft warmth that soothed his wounds like the healing power of a staff. _I love her,_ he thought, and wondered if the twinge in his cheek was the start of a smile or a sign of exhaustion. _I really do love her._

* * *

 _A/N: What is up my dudes. Mars here with an update...of a certain nature *wink wonk*_

 _On this day let it be known that Lon'qu has feelings and does not fear his woman so much. Heeheehee. Tarry not, my young Lonk! A happy future approaches you._

 _Also, on my Tumblr, I discovered hay fever guard was popular, so he got to come back in to lighten up this chapter a lil bit. Poor dude's just wracked with issues, I feel so very bad that I made him this way. He really does try, you know? He just isn't too bright sometimes._

 _This update was kind of hard to write; I rewrote a lot of it like at least four times, so I hope it was okay! Overall, I did have fun writing it. Just had to overcome some ideological stupidity and so that was an issue. HAD TO BOUNCE IDEAS OF A NUMBER OF DUDES, SO THANKS TO KARI AND STELLA WHO BOTH HEARD STUFF ABOUT THINGS AT POINTS OVER THE PAST TEN DAYS ESP THANK YOU MY GUYS MY DUDES MY FRENS YA DID SOME GOOD FOR THE MARS._

 _Anyway...I'm so excited to write the last couple of updates. There's a final chapter (or two) and an epilogue, and perhaps a bonus. I'm still inspired to go in this track, but I can't stretch this on for any longer without the story dragging honestly. Keep an eyeball peeled for those over the upcoming weeks; I'll finish this before I head back to college later this month. How summer flies! I got out back in May, and it feels like just yesterday that I was unpacking my car...which will soon have to be repacked again. Wow._

 _So a quick hc for y'all: Xander is shaped like a friend. I married him and I'm so starry-eyed. Not the way I was with Shura, but Xander is like a close second, with Silas being a close third for my husbands. Really gotta start a file so I can marry the women of Fates because so far I've just been marrying any guy I vaguely like when I'm so gay for certain ladies ehehehehe_

 _So I'm going to leave this update right here, because I still have some steam and would like to write some more. I do not guarantee a quick update. I will guarantee nothing. I've learned that I shoot myself in the foot whenever I do._

 _So have a great weekend, my lovely readers, and remember to eat your vegetables and wash behind your ears!_

 _~Mars_


	13. Chapter 13

Policy meetings and parleys with advisors had suddenly become a large part of Chrom's life, and as the end of another meeting approached with the heads of Ylisstol's castle staff, he was ready to rush out. _I need to swing a sword or something. This is tedious,_ he thought as the head chef complained about the low quality of the summer's lentils. _I can't believe Emmeryn started dealing with these things as a ten year old._

Roughly ten minutes later, the meeting ended and Chrom waited for the room to clear before practically sprinting to the door. He exited the chamber and found none other than Lon'qu standing in the hall, leaning against the wall and looking in the opposite direction. Just days ago, he had been riddled with cuts, bruises, and a dramatic wound through the shoulder from an arrow. Due to his sister's healing and some attention from Libra as well, he seemed less clammy and walked far less sensitively. "Lon'qu," Chrom called, "were you waiting for me?"

His attention snapped to Chrom. "Yes. I'd like to speak with you."

 _I've just been speaking for what feels like days. Can we not?_ Chrom thought, but he gave a friendly smile. "Certainly. Just walk with me. I need to get down to the barracks."

"It isn't something that we need to discuss," Lon'qu said. "It's more something I need to tell you."

"Okay." Chrom shifted from foot to foot a little bit, feeling as antsy as a child. His only true stress relief as of late was sparring with his fellow shepherds, something he could only spare about an hour a day for. "What is it?"

"I would like to resign as a shepherd and return to Chon'sin."

Chrom felt his stomach drop. His deep desire to return to the sparring field was replaced with immense concern. "If it's because you nearly lost your life guarding my sister, I really do apologize—"

"I can't do this job objectively," Lon'qu interrupted, his eyes on the floor.

Frowning, Chrom folded his arms over his chest. "What makes you say that?"

Lon'qu was silent, looking uncomfortable. He shoved his hands into his pockets before muttering, "Lissa."

Chrom cocked his head, confused. "I don't get it."

"I threw myself in front of an arrow for her the other day. Not because she was a princess or because it was my duty. It's because...I love her," he said, his voice trailing off to a quiet, serious whisper. He wouldn't look up at Chrom. "It isn't fair to my allies."

Chrom's dropped stomach seemed to also be clenching at this point. _He just confessed his love for my sister right to my face?_ He questioned, flabbergasted. Collecting himself, he slowly said, "There's no rule in the shepherds against relationships. It makes fighting better, even, when you have someone to fight for."

Lon'qu was silent. Chrom sighed and continued, "As a leader, I'm going to ask you to reconsider and discourage your decision. As Lissa's brother...I'm a little concerned you'd tell me before her. Is that a ritual in Ferox? Or Chon'sin?" Chrom asked.

Lon'qu's face was tinged pink. All he responded with was, "Fine." Before Chrom could comprehend what was even happening, he nearly sprinted off down the hallway.

Chrom stood, bracing himself against the wall with one arm. "The world's gotten weird," he muttered to himself. More than ever, he really needed to run his sword through something.

* * *

 _What am I supposed to do?_

A few days had passed since Lon'qu had waited nearly forty five minutes for Chrom to leave a meeting, asking to resign and getting what felt like the firmest no the Ylissean could muster. Was he not disgusted with Lon'qu's thoughts and feelings? He was a foreign soldier, born in the slums of Chon'sin, and interested in his younger sister.

In Ferox, it was also uncommon to develop relationships beyond friendship with fellow soldiers, especially ones that worked closely with each other in the same unit. What if a relationship grew messy or died out? What would happen to the unit's chemistry then? It felt as though he suddenly had a thousand miniscule problems that snowballed into one larger problem.

He kept running into the source of those problems in the barracks. It was hard to look at her, seeing her through eyes that now recognized what he felt for her. Those eyes cast her in a softer light. Her stray hairs were fine gold thread, and her voice was music. When he looked at her, he understood art and poetry better than he ever had in his life.

Was he even worth someone like her? It hit him hard; she was a princess, caring, beautiful, and humorous. What did he have that matched up to that?

Also, wasn't he cursed, in a sense? _Ke'ri's dead because of you,_ a voice in the back of his mind would remind him, but he brushed it aside. With her, the nightmares and the thoughts had faded to weak whispers; he felt so at ease, so why had he become so uneasy with these feelings that had sprung up in his heart?

Roughly a week and a half after the thwarted assassination plot, Lon'qu was entering the barracks just as Lissa was leaving. "Hi, Lon'qu," she greeted, rubbing at a newly-bandaged left hand. "What are you up to today?"

"I was going to spar with Gregor," he answered. In realizing his feelings, he felt as though he'd taken many steps back with her. He took a few steps back; if the breeze stirred her hair, Lon'qu would smell that faint floral smell that had suddenly become one of the most intoxicating smells he'd ever known. He didn't want reminders of what he was trying to work through.

Lissa looked down, seemingly a touch disappointed. "Ah, I see. I had a little free time, and well...I'm not a big fan of that right now," she remarked, scratching at her head with a sheepish grin. "If you're busy, though, I won't bother you. See you around." She pushed past him and headed back toward the castle, her hands behind her back.

Lon'qu didn't move after her. He didn't want to be alone with her. He didn't want her to accidentally brush him or say something ridiculous or as much as look at him if it was just the two of them. He didn't want to feel this way, because there was no way she could reciprocate feelings for someone like him. Her feelings couldn't be more than friendship, considering how often she referred to him as one.

He pushed into the barracks, feeling low and aggressive, and decided that he would take his frustrations out on anyone who decided to train with him that day.

After a long session with Gregor, he sat down on the grass in the training area with a sigh. Gregor had thanked him heartily before speedily running back into the barracks after spotting a nonplussed Olivia through the open doorway. She was apparently rather popular amongst the shepherds, especially the men, but Lon'qu had barely even noticed she was around.

Surrounded by a tall wooden fence and with the worst of the hot sun blocked out by the forest around the barracks, Lon'qu didn't feel like he was frying in the way he did in full Ylissean sun. _Damn this weather,_ he thought quietly. _And damn these thoughts._ He had felt erratic and caustic during his match today, his swings more erratic than usual. Gregor was a good opponent, yet he barely provided a match even in Lon'qu's frustrated state-something that didn't help Lon'qu's emotional state very much.

As he sat in the grass, trying to breathe to settle his ragged emotions, he heard approaching footsteps. "Hey, Lon'qu." It was none other than Gaius. His calming techniques were now about to be essentially useless. "Do you have two seconds?"

"One, two. There they were."

"I didn't mean that literally, and you know it. No need to be hostile," he remarked. He tossed his sword and its sheath on the grass before sitting a few feet from Lon'qu. "Look, I wanted to talk to you about something, and I'm being serious here, so don't look at me like I just told the world's worst pun or something."

Lon'qu gazed away from him silently, trying and failing to rein in his negative emotions. This left Gaius sighing, and he pushed his hand through his hair, stirring the ginger strands. "So. I'm getting the feeling that you're in love with Lissa."

His head snapped up, and he shot Gaius a hard glare. He expected the thief to be smug, but his expression seemed uncustomarily serious. "What about it?" Lon'qu questioned.

"I'm getting there. Hold your horses," the thief ordered. He sighed and continued, "You're different around her. Not just in the not fearing her way. You're nicer to her than anyone else you know. If one looks hard enough, they'll understand it. But that's not the point, actually."

"What is the point, then?" Lon'qu asked, exasperated. "Is this blackmail?"

"I'm not interested in her," he responded. Gaius began digging around in the folds of his cloak, obviously searching for candy, as he explained, "The day of Emmeryn's memorial service, I thought you were going to kill me out of jealousy. I was just trying to be nice, and Robin told me to go get her out of there, anyway. Lissa is cute, and I think she's funny. But Robin is more my type, honestly." He found a bag of caramels and cursed. "I was gonna give these to Lissa, but what she doesn't know won't hurt her, you know?"

Lon'qu felt his frown ease. He watched in silence as Gaius unwrapped a caramel and placed it on his tongue. "Why are you telling me this?" he asked. Lissa had told him that she and Gaius were just friends, but why had the ginger felt the need to distinguish this to Lon'qu?

Gaius looked over, and as seriously as one could muster with a mouthful of caramel, he said, "Because I don't want you to kill me in my sleep." He buried the wrapper in his pocket and stood up. "Also, I think it'd be a good thing for both of you. She clearly likes you, so go act on it or something before someone who _isn't_ me decides to do something. She's a cute girl and all." He walked back into the barracks, whistling a happy tune that further clashed with Lon'qu's mood.

In spite of his dislike for Gaius, he thought upon his words. Did Lissa truly like Lon'qu? Would she laugh him down if he confessed some kind of feelings for her? Why were his thoughts dancing in this direction at all?

 _Go act on it or something before someone who isn't me decides to do something._ Lon'qu's mind came to focus on these words, and it made his fidgeting hands freeze. After a moment, Lon'qu groaned and shoved both hands through his hair. He had been confused before, but now he felt motivated to say something, although the idea felt awkward and uncomfortable like a sliver under a fingernail. What if Gaius was right about someone making a move on her before he could muster up the courage to? Even if nothing would come of it, what if he never tried to confess these feelings to her? The thought of not knowing if she potentially felt anything in return was almost more painful than the thought of standing before her and confessing. _I have to do something, but what?_ He thought, feeling oddly desperate. _Why did Gaius say something like that to me? How does one go about these things?_

He scrambled to his feet and jogged back inside. Lon'qu had to figure out a plan. To suddenly understand what he was feeling for her only to lose her. _I can't let this person slip out of my hands this time. Not her. I can't do that again._

* * *

It took longer than Robin cared to admit to notice that the sun was in noon position in the clearing she was sitting in, meaning Gaius was late. "Oh, he was supposed to be back here by now," Robin muttered to herself. She snapped her tome shut and marked the spell she was studying with a long strand of grass. "He said before noon. Now it's...high noon," she grumbled. Her hairline was beading with sweat, and she wondered if she needed to move back into the shade to wait for Gaius.

"Hey now, I'm coming." The ginger thief slid into the clearing and trotted over to the tactician. When he made it, he flipped over onto his back and offered a caramel. "Some candy?"

Robin declined. She peered down at the thief and raised an eyebrow. "Did you do it?"

"Oh yeah, I scared him, alright. He may or may not kill me in my sleep, but he's going to talk to her. Hopefully," Gaius added, a slight frown rumpling the skin between his eyes. His face relaxed again and he smiled up at the tactician. "So. You busy?"

She opened her tome to the page she had been looking at and set it on his face. "That's new Thunder magic. It isn't going to learn itself, Gaius." Lifting the tome, she snapped it shut and stuffed it in one of the voluminous pockets of her coat. "You should get to work yourself. Now that we've done those two a favor, we need to do our actual jobs."

"Hey, I did all the talking," Gaius called after her as she scrambled to her feet and walked away. "I expect compensation."

"IOU," Robin retorted. She heard a good-natured groan, and Robin couldn't help but smile. She hoped that their maneuvering would aid Lon'qu and Lissa. Only so much moping could be taken around the barracks. _I just want those two to be happy, and right now, they aren't. If this doesn't work...it might not have been the best of plans,_ she decided, swallowing nervously.

 _Hopefully it will, right?_

 _Did he totally brush me off earlier?_

Sitting beside a patient suffering from stomach pains in one of Ylisstol's free clinics, Lissa frowned and wondered what had happened with Lon'qu earlier. She felt the young woman's stomach for any lumps or abscesses while she thought back to her run-in with the myrmidon. Why had he been so quick to say no? In the past he would have at least thought about it, but his no had come so rapidly. It wasn't a true "no", of course; he was indeed about to spar with Gregor. _I suppose I can't expect him to make time for me like he did when he was guarding me. Now he has other things to do,_ Lissa thought as she pressed gently under the girl's ribs. Out loud, she asked, "Does this hurt?"

"Yes," she moaned, her eyes watery. Lissa let up her pressure and set a cool, wet washcloth on the girl's forehead.

"Looking at your other symptoms, you probably have some trouble with your gallbladder. Avoid fatty foods for a while, like nuts and fried foods. If it gets worse, come back here. In the meantime, take these herbs for pain and try to avoid strenuous physical activity." Lissa set a small bag of herbs beside the girl. "Feel free to rest here for a while after taking these herbs. They can take a bit to kick in."

The girl nodded. Her round face was shining with sweat. "Th-thank you, princess," she responded.

"I'm just Lissa," she responded, a knee-jerk reaction to "princess". She pulled away from the bedside and wandered through the large infirmary. So many patients who were so ill and sweaty—she couldn't remember the last time she'd seen this number of patients in this particular clinic.

She checked in on a few of her patients, trying to keep her mind from wandering to Lon'qu again. Lissa had a talent for overthinking, and to do so while trying to care for her patients before handing off her shift to one of the usual healers at this clinic was counterproductive. She caught Maribelle's eye as she checked the arrhythmic pulse on an older gentleman. Maribelle shot her an encouraging smile, which Lissa returned with a quick raise of her eyebrows.

Her gaze shot post Maribelle to the cleric who normally worked this shift, a well-rounded older woman with a shock of dark hair. Lissa scribbled a few notes on his chart, bid him a good day, and walked up to the cleric, filling her on her patients. Maribelle was watching her over the woman's shoulder, something interesting in her expression. After the cleric walked away and Lissa started heading for the door, Maribelle trotted up to her. "Do you have a moment?" she asked.

Lissa glanced around. "Don't you have patients to take care of?"

"It will be brief, dear Lissa. I just would like to have a short word with you," she insisted, already half-hauling Lissa out into the hallway outside of the clinic's infirmary.

Outside, Maribelle released Lissa's arm and immediately asked, "Are you well? You've been frowning quite a lot today."

"I…" Lissa watched Maribelle's stern gaze fix itself on her. _I just want to say I'm fine, dammit! I can't when she gives me that look._ "It's weird, not having Lon'qu at my side all the time."

Maribelle cocked her head slightly. "Is that all?"

"I kind of wonder if he blew me off earlier today, but...we were just friends, anyway, I guess." Lissa sighed. "I have it for him bad. I might've scared him off."

Maribelle sighed. "It's no wonder. Even if he had gotten comfortable with you, I can't imagine he'd be ready for a relationship." She pulled Lissa into a hug. "Promise me to take some time for yourself, and don't let a dumb boy like him get in your head."

"He's hardly a boy—"

Maribelle released her and gazed at her with a cool, serious expression. "Don't let a dumb _boy_ like him get in your head," she repeated herself. "See how things go," she added, her expression a little lighter. "There is enough trouble in your life without being preoccupied by what a gynaphobic myrmidon thinks of you. Shall I come find you after I'm done here tonight?"

Lissa gave a small smile. "That'd be nice."

After saying their goodbyes, Lissa started walking away. Her face fell quickly the minute Maribelle was behind her. Her friend's speech hadn't quite calmed her nerves; in fact, it made her worry more. Of course Lon'qu didn't feel amorous affection for her.

 _Why did I have to go and kiss him? I ruined what we had,_ Lissa thought with a groan. Her heartbeat was so hard it almost hurt. Loneliness yawned before her in a way it hadn't before; it seemed interminable. Her sister was gone, Chrom was busy, and she had scared Lon'qu off; wasn't Maribelle right? Lon'qu would never be ready for a relationship beyond friendship.

She started to walk out of the clinic, back toward the castle. Her heart longed for the gardens, and it was there that she would head. At midday, it would be peaceful enough that maybe she would forget about her transgressions for a while.

* * *

The box in his pocket felt like it was burning a hole through to his leg. Not that he wasn't already uncomfortable enough in the Ylissean summer heat, but the mental burden of a box containing a ring didn't exactly help his case.

It was how Ylissean men courted Ylissean women, right? They obtained a ring. They professed enamorment. They spent time together and eventually got married, if all went well. Lon'qu felt he had a long shot at best at getting her to even accept the ring; Chrom didn't seem terribly enthused with the myrmidon's feelings for his younger sister. He'd seemed bemused at best.

 _Why am I doing this?_ Lon'qu kept asking himself as he walked through the streets of Ylisstol, back toward the castle and the barracks. _Is this even a good idea?_

But what if Gaius was right? He needed to go through with this, right? It was better to fail having tried than to have never tried at all.

Lon'qu felt a shoulder clip his. He muttered an apology to the glowering pudgy man he had ran into and kept walking. His heart was beating too quickly in his chest; he felt like it was about to take off, not unlike the hummingbirds he occasionally saw while marching along the border of Plegia. The ring in his pocket was simple; a slim silver band, set with two radiant yellow stones (hadn't the merchant in the downtown market called them topaz?) and one light blue one. It was so flowery and feminine, imported from some province in Valm. _What would Basilio say if he saw this?_ Lon'qu thought, his face suddenly hot. _I bought a ring for a woman._

The rest of the walk to the castle he passed in a haze of worry. This surely wouldn't go well. Of course it wouldn't go well. Did anything ever go well at all?

At the bottom of the stairs, he vaguely heard someone calling his name. He looked up to see Vaike standing there, dancing from foot to foot. "Hey! Lonnie boy! I've been calling your name for a good ten minutes."

"Ten minutes ago I was in the middle of the street crowd. You probably looked like a fool," Lon'qu grumbled, his foul mood encouraging him to verbally snipe at Vaike.

Vaike, unbothered by Lon'qu's mood, pointed at the barracks. "You said we'd practice together today! A good ol' bout of fisticuffs!"

"We use weapons. Fisticuffs is hand to hand combat," Lon'qu responded, his voice tetchy.

Vaike laughed, raising his fists. "You know what Ol' Teach meant."

"Maybe I didn't."

Vaike took a playful swing at Lon'qu, which he easily blocked. Lon'qu groaned. "Look, can we do this some other time. Something came up."

"Yeah, and that's me challenging you to the good old fisticuffs!" Vaike declared. He jabbed at Lon'qu, who hopped back. In the process, the box fell from his pocket. His heart froze as Vaike noticed it. "Hey, what's that?"

"N-nothing," he grumbled, diving to pick up the box. Unfortunately, Vaike beat him to it and opened it, gazing at it with large eyes. Lon'qu knew his face was red as he demanded, "Give it back. Now."

Vaike pulled out the ring, watching the sun dance across the stones. He was uncharacteristically silent before he chuckled loudly. "Lonnie boy...are you...proposing to me? I knew you weren't much for women but—"

Lon'qu snatched the ring back, shoved it into the tiny box and buried the box deep in his pocket. "No. It's for..." He trailed off, deciding he was already uncomfortable with the number of people who knew about his feelings before he could tell Lissa, and turned on his heel and began marching up toward the castle. Vaike was calling after him, his voice filled with jocular glee, but Lon'qu was already blocking it out. He had to gather his courage and confess. It had to be done.

At the top of the stairs, he wondered if he was even doing the right thing...again. Instead, he steeled himself. He had to find her now before someone decided to do the same in the future.

* * *

"...still some hoards of Risen, which should have been taken care of by…"

"...but the lentils have been awful, what do they expect from us? A miracle or…"

"...doubling down on guards. Recruiting hasn't been difficult after recent days…"

The garden had become a popular spot to walk through in the still of the afternoon, but no one could spot where she Lissa was laying. Hidden in a patch of hydrangeas, Lissa gazed up at a sky that was so blue it seared her eyes. She half-closed them, wondering when she'd stop feeling so anxious.

She remembered being a small girl, hiding in this same patch of hydrangeas from her tutors. Emmeryn or Chrom would inevitably come find her; each time they would gently remind her that she had to receive her education. Chrom would get tired of her quickly and drag her, kicking and screaming, from the flower bed if he had to. Emmeryn, on the other hand, would sit outside the flowers and ask Lissa if she was feeling alright and talk her through whatever was bothering her.

Her heart panged; part of her wanted nothing more than for her sister to appear now. It had been years since Lissa had needed someone to sit outside the flowers, looking like a fool in the process, and talk her through what she was feeling. _This is hard on my own,_ she thought with a sigh.

She kicked off her boots unceremoniously, having returned to wearing her cleric clothing, sans cage skirt. Supposedly they were in a time of "peace" once again, meaning the armor could be left catching dust in the barracks or in her room. Peace. Lissa's eyes opened. She reached up to touch a pale blue head of hydrangea blossoms. Nothing had felt peaceful since this so-called "peace" had arrived; she'd almost been killed and her soul was now restless.

More voices drifted past her ears. Male, female, familiar, unfamiliar. Frederick arguing with Cordelia. A pair of cooks arguing about the appropriate way to saute mushrooms. An advisor telling a joke to her assistants. They were separated from her, by what felt like more than just mere physical distance. It felt like a metaphysical wall separated Lissa from the world.

"Have you seen Lissa?"

Her oddly insulated state cracked; she opened her eyes. Was that Lon'qu's voice? She lifted her head and listened hard. It was from a good ways behind her, in the same hallway she and Gaius had been talking in the day of Emmeryn's service.

She heard Libra's voice. "Ah, Lon'qu. I fear not. She was at one of the free clinics earlier; she took over for me."

"Do you know where she might have gone?" Lon'qu asked. There was an intriguing urgency in his voice.

"No, not really. I'm not close to her. We just work together in the infirmaries sometimes. Are you two not closer than she and I are?" Lon'qu didn't respond to Libra's inquiry. After a moment, Libra hastily added, "I wish you the best in your hunt."

Lissa remained quietly in the flowers. Did she reveal herself to Lon'qu? How would he react to seeing her laying under a canopy of hydrangeas like a kitchen cat? She decided to stay where she was, primarily for saving face, and listened once more. The conversation had faded, leaving her wondering what was going on.

 _Maybe they both left?_ Lissa thought, opening her eyes and looking around as much as her position allowed. She saw little but flowers and one of the walls; she would have to stand or sit to look for him. _I should let him know where I am. He's looking for me, and I don't want to be rude._ Yet, she found herself not clambering to her feet. _Eh. Maybe a little rude. He did brush me off earlier, right?_

Before she could muse further on the matter, she heard a gruff, "Dammit!" from nearby and the sound of someone dropping to sit in the grass. _Lon'qu?_ The extra conversation had subsided. She craned her neck again, and to her surprise, she saw Lon'qu sitting no more than five feet away from her, just outside the patch of hydrangeas. His back was to her; she could see just the very tips of his ruffled, black hair.

It made her think of Emmeryn, sitting in almost that same spot waiting for Lissa to leave the deep blue flowers. Always patient and loving. Presently, Lon'qu didn't even know she was there, but his unknown, unintended gesture filled Lissa's heart with a strange, bittersweet kind of calm. She could feel an odd anxiety rolling off of him, even though she could barely see him. What was on his mind? Why was he looking for her with that sense of urgency.

Her curiosity was piqued, and Lissa decided to give up her self-imposed solitude. _Oh, wonderful. I have to bite._ Tentatively, she started sitting up in the flowerbed, careful to not rustle the leaves in an aggressive way. Her efforts were in vain, though, because as she sat up Lon'qu turned to look at her. Their eyes met, and they both froze. After a moment, Lissa merely said, "Well, hi."

His eyes shifted to the flowers around her, his expression a mixture of irritation and surprise. Lissa followed his gaze and remarked, "So. This. It's a hiding spot."

"I see," he responded, his voice forcedly level. Lon'qu twisted around to face her, his eyes cool. "I've been looking for you."

"Have you now?" She stood, brushing dirt and fallen flower petals from her clothing. "I should've said something sooner. I heard you and Libra. I just...kind of wanted to escape for a bit, you see?" Lissa explained, more to herself than to him.

He gazed up at her. "Is that so?" Something in his tone suggested a challenge; Lissa knew he was agitated by something. Her little stunt likely hadn't helped.

Lissa, still standing, gazed down at him and nodded. "Yes. That is so."

They were locked in a stare-off, it seemed, before Lon'qu scoffed and looked away. "I've been looking for a while. You could have said something."

"Would that have looked okay to you? Me rising out of the flowers shouting 'oh dearest Lon'qu I'm here amongst my hydrangea friends!'? Libra might have had a heart attack or something." Lissa retorted, her eyes narrowing at the vitriol in his tone. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she clasped her hands in front of herself. "Look, you seem a bit agitated. Is everything okay?"

He shook his head. "I don't know."

"Well, that's clear." He was silent, offering up no more details. She groaned and scratched at her neck. "Okay, look. We've barely talked since you stopped guarding me. Just...is it something to do with that? Do you not want me to talk to you anymore?"

"No!" Lissa was taken aback by the vehemence in his voice, the width of his eyes. After a moment he added, "I...there's something I need to say."

 _Talk in circles much?_ She huffed and sat down opposite of him, the waxy leaves of a rhododendron scraping her neck. "Well, first you get snippy with me and now you're beating around the bush. What is it that you're trying to say, Lon'qu?"

He was gazing at her, something hidden just out of reach in his eyes. In spite of this guardedness, Lissa began to wonder if his gaze was filled with tenderness. The look made her breath catch; she loved his eyes, as guarded as they could be. After a moment, it vanished, and Lon'qu said, "I…" Lissa leaned forward, waiting for him to say something.

He glanced over at her and seemed to lose what little composure he had. The myrmidon leapt to his feet in almost a blink of an eye, startling Lissa. "Gods, I can't do this," he muttered.

* * *

Lon'qu could feel the burn of Lissa's stare of disbelief on his back. That same soft, green gaze that had looked at him with intrigue just moments before, the one that made him lose his composure. How was he supposed to get through this, when he feared a no from her?

"Lon'qu, whatever it is, I can't believe you're more afraid of telling me it than you were of throwing yourself in front of an arrow for me," Lissa remarked, her voice just bordering on exasperated. He couldn't turn to look at her.

 _I shouldn't do this. I can't do this. This is selfish,_ Lon'qu thought to himself. He muttered, "That's different."

He heard Lissa clamber to her feet. Moments later, her hand gently rested on his back, sending a huge shock through his body. He flinched away, and Lissa pulled her hand away, hard. He heard her step back. "Ah. Right. I...I shouldn't touch you. That's probably why you aren't talking to me. I took it too far. That's...that's what you're here to tell me, right? I shouldn't have...kissed you…" She fell silent.

Lon'qu's hands balled into fists as he thought about Lissa pressing that kiss to his cheek before running out of the infirmary. That small spot burned as he thought about it. "That's...that's not at all what I'm saying, Lissa," he muttered, but by flinching away, the damage was already done.

She marched in front of him and folded her arms in front of her chest. Her gaze was icy as she stared up at him. "Don't spare my feelings! Just spit it out if you don't like me! Stop...stop making me hope for something that could never happen," she said, her voice trailing off.

He was about to respond—and then froze. _Stop making me hope for something that could never happen._ Something not unlike hope buoyed up inside of him. He gazed down at her, as she stared up at him with a defiant, stubborn face. Lon'qu couldn't help but chuckle at the absurdity of this situation.

Lissa gaped at him. "What? You're...laughing? Don't make fun of me!"

Lon'qu dragged his hand across his mouth, killing his mirth. "I'm—I'm not."

Her face grew increasingly red, and she pressed her hands to her cheeks and covered her eyes. "This is frustrating. I just—I just want us to talk a lot, you know? Like we used to. Well, it was more me babbling all the time and you nodding…" She removed her hands from her face. "I don't know. I don't expect you to understand. You don't really like girls much, so even if we are friends I imagine you'd be relieved to get rid of me—"

"Lissa." He said her name, quietly. She must not have heard, as she was still babbling. She sure babbled, but he loved that about her, much like he loved those eyes, directed somewhere off to the side in the near distance. For once, he felt his expression soften. His storm of confusing feelings was gone. _She...she loves me too, doesn't she?_ Lon'qu thought. That hope from earlier swelled into something...warmer. Brighter. He pushed his hand into his pocket, where he felt the ring box. "I...I like it when you come to talk to me. That you like to see me. I've missed you."

"—and so you don't have to pretend…" she trailed off and gazed at him, a small crease forming in her brow. "Uh, Lon'qu. Hey. What, uh...what did you say there? Because I'm pretty sure you said you _liked_ having me talk to you and that you _miss_ me?" Lissa took a step back, and Lon'qu could watch the nervous energy fill her. "Are you ill? Did you hit your head training? Oh, gods. What if I'm ill?" She pressed a hand to her forehead. "Fever? Nah. Maybe I, uh, accidentally ate an herb I shouldn't have in the clinic on a dare." She laughed nervously, dropping her hand in order to wring it with the other one.

Lon'qu's fingers closed on the ring box, and, with far less hesitation than he could have expected from himself, he pulled it out of his pocket, his hand still clenched around it. "This may come as a surprise, but I have something for you." He opened his hand and popped open the box.

Lissa stared. She was dead silent, for once. Lon'qu's momentary confidence faded. _Was this too far?_ Before he could pull back, apologize, and escape the situation, a massive grin broke out over Lissa's face. "That's...that's a wedding ring, isn't it?" she whispered.

"Y-yes," he responded.

She bounced on the balls of her feet before looking up at him, her hands coming up to cover her mouth. The joy in her face melted into confusion, and she arched an eyebrow, looking at him fishily. Her voice muffled, she stated, "But...you hate women."

"No, I...I don't. I don't hate anyone. Yes, I have an issue with women, but you're the exception," he explained. He closed the ring box and lowered his hand. "I haven't been able to stop thinking about you. I close my eyes, and there you are. My every moment is consumed with you." He stepped closer to her. His voice suddenly quiet, he promised, "Lissa, I swear to be with you and protect you for the rest of your days. That is, if you'll...you'll have me," he added hastily, his confidence fast wearing down again.

Lissa's confusion seemed to fall away. A slow smile spread over her features, and the bright, enthusiastic joy of earlier was replaced with a contentment that Lon'qu thought he could have only dreamed of just hours before. She reached for his hand, gently took the box, and opened it. For a moment the world was still as she gazed at the ring silently. There were hydrangea petals trapped in her locks, blue trapped in a sea of gold, not unlike the ring he had bought. She looked up, her cheeks a bright pink. "I have to request one thing of you first," she said breathlessly, stepping closer to him.

He nodded, encouraging her to go on. She gazed up at him, both hands clutching the box. "No more distance, okay?" she requested.

Lon'qu hesitated for only a second before repeating, "No more distance."

Lissa pulled out the ring and slid it onto her finger. With that, his worries about whether she would accept had faded. Slowly, Lissa— _his_ Lissa—stashed the box into the pocket of her dress and reached out to him with both of her hands. Slowly, with some nervousness, he took her hands in his. The instant fear was replaced with a gentle warmth that spread from his palms up to his face. Lissa stepped closer to him, their hands hanging low, and rested her head against his chest. "Lon'qu, I love you," she murmured. His heart pounded faster at her words. The final confirmation that he had done the right thing was there, in her words, and it put him at ease.

How _damned_ lucky he was, to be standing here with her, knowing that he had found love with her.

"I love you, too," he whispered back, his voice rough with emotion. She released his hands and wrapped her arms around him loosely, as if to not upset him. In a way, he was tired of distance, and in that moment he pulled her tightly to him. She squeaked in surprise, but she moved her arms higher to wrap around his neck.

They stood, tightly embracing, when Lissa groaned. "Lon'qu. This is amazing and I'm still convinced I'm dreaming, but I just thought of something. We have to...tell Chrom."

Lon'qu had almost forgotten his conversation with Chrom. It didn't matter, though; it had turned out way better than he could have hoped or dreamed, and dealing with Chrom hardly intimidated him—especially since he already had an idea of Lon'qu's plan. "Right. About that..."

* * *

The news of Lissa's engagement had spread like wildfire among the shepherds, and it had certainly been met with some interesting reactions. Lissa wondered if part of it had to do with Vaike's jokes about Lon'qu's sexuality, claiming that the myrmidon had attempted to propose to him on the stairs, but she knew that it was largely that Lon'qu had seemed to be little more than an impossible dream to any female who'd ever met him.

Once the shock wore off, questions flooded in that made Lissa's head spin.

"When's the wedding?"

"Where will you two live together?"

"How did Chrom react?"

Lissa could barely keep up with these questions, and she felt worse for Lon'qu, who was flooded with even more pressing inquiries by the male shepherds and a few daring female shepherds, who were disappointed to find that Lon'qu's acceptance of Lissa didn't necessarily spread to them.

However, the questions were well worth it when she finally found herself alone with him again, along one of the outer walls of the castle. They'd agreed to meet there at sundown, since privacy had suddenly become even more difficult to find in the light of their confession. _I guess they think they're going to find us oozing all over each other in some corner or something. We need to work up to that level,_ she thought with humor.

She found him sprawled rather comfortably in the grass, one hand raised. As Lissa got closer, she noticed a small, yellow butterfly standing on one of his fingers. His expression was surprisingly gentle; when alone or alone with her, his cool facade seemed to thaw more than it used to. "Hey," she said gently. He didn't even start at the sound of her voice, which filled Lissa with a self-satisfied pleasure. The myrmidon—her _fiance—_ gently wiggled his finger, making the butterfly fly away. He got to his feet as Lissa drew closer. "You didn't have to send your little friend away. He seemed cute."

Lon'qu simply shrugged. He got closer to her, hands in his pockets. God, she loved his more casual poses. She loved how fluid and free flowing he had become with her. "I suppose," he responded, but his eyes were on her. "How are you?"

"I'm fabulous," she responded, trying to keep herself from grinning like an idiot. "Actually, I'm kind of tired. I've been in the clinics all day again today. Mind if I sit down?"

They situated themselves on the hill, sitting so close that their shoulders touched. Lissa smiled to herself. With the sun going down, the heat of the day was slowly fading, and she was grateful to have Lon'qu's warmth beside her. Hell, she was just grateful to have him. "How about you? How are you?" she asked him once they were comfortably situated.

"I'm fine," he responded. He glanced across to her, with dark eyes that burned steadily into hers. "Vaike seems disappointed that I'm taken."

"Poor guy. He worked so hard for your attention and all, too," Lissa responded, bumping her shoulder playfully into his. "Always letting himself lose to you and all."

"He's miles behind me," Lon'qu responded reproachfully.

Lissa's smile faded a little. "It was a joke, Lon'qu."

He rolled his eyes at her, grunting in acknowledgment. They sat quietly on the hill. It had only been a few days since their engagement, and it felt as though this was the first time they'd have extended time alone together. Aside from hugging the garden, they hadn't done anything particularly coupley yet. Lissa shifted herself to rest her head on his shoulder. He glanced down, looking a little bewildered, but calmed himself when he saw that it was Lissa. She could hear his heart faintly through his shoulder, beating steadily inside of him. "I want to ask you something," she said softly.

"Go ahead," he responded.

"Why did you jump in front of that arrow?" she questioned, feeling herself frown. "You could have pulled me out of the way or pushed me down. But you...took that arrow. And now we're here, obviously."

He was silent for a moment, clearly thinking about something. "I had to think about that myself. Because it does seem stupid, especially in retrospect." Lissa felt his heart speed up a little, as though he was nervous simply thinking about that day. "I couldn't stand the thought of there being a life without you. An Ylisse that didn't have you. I didn't want you to get hurt."

Lissa felt pleasure curl inside her gut at his answer, but it still wasn't a full answer. "Right, but you could have done that those other ways, too."

"I think, in the heat of the moment, all I cared about was whether you made it out safe," he responded. "If I took that arrow, you couldn't. I wasn't going to have you be Ke'ri. I couldn't bring that bad luck to you," he said, his voice sad.

Lissa nestled closer to him, her head touching his neck now. "I won't be. You're going to protect me. And I'll protect you, too, no matter what," she said vehemently. His heart sped up again, and she felt his head lower over hers. She smiled and closed her eyes, feeling deeply content. "You're a good man, Lon'qu."

"Even if I told Chrom I loved you before I told you?" he asked.

Her eyes snapped open, and she playfully nudged him with her elbow. "That's the ultimate betrayal, Lon'qu. Not sure if I'll ever forgive you for that one. We could be old and gray, and I'll still remember how you asked Chrom to leave."

He pulled away from her, his eyes sparking. "Is that so?"

"Yeah, that's so," she responded, sticking her tongue out at him.

Lon'qu's mouth twitched with a smile. Lissa gasped theatrically, clapping her hands to her face. "Hey now! Wipe that smirk off your face, or I'll wipe it off myself." When he didn't stop grinning, she pounced on him. He cried out in surprise, and he quickly rolled, pinning her under him and grabbing her wrists in one fluid movement. His eyes were wide with surprise, his breathing heavy. Lissa wondered if she had gone too far, gazing up at him. "Oh, no. I didn't mean to startle you or anything, and I'm really sorry if I took it too far."

His expression softened as he gazed down at her. He didn't quite let her up, but he shifted his weight off of her. He released her wrists, but he took one of her hands in his. "It's fine," he responded, that same faint smile returning.

She reached up, gently wiping her free hand across his lower face, making him look at her like she was crazy. Lissa grinned wickedly. "Gotcha."

He groaned, shaking his head at her. When he met her gaze again, though, his dark eyes were filled with a gentle humor. Lissa's breath caught in her throat when she noticed the desire in his eyes. She reached up to him, her hand cupping his face. Her palm rubbed against the stubble along his jaw. He closed his eyes against her touch, and Lissa felt like her heart would burst. So beautifully vulnerable her Lon'qu was when he was alone with her. He opened her eyes, gazing at her sweetly, and she knew in that moment that they were about to kiss.

He started leaning in and she guided him, her hands cupping his face and pulling him closer. He paused, inches from her, searching her eyes, as if to see that it was okay. Lissa closed the distance, pressing her lips to his. Her blood burned hot as he pressed back, almost too gently. She buried her hands in his hair, her toes almost curling with the pleasure. She started to deepen it, which startled Lon'qu.

He pulled back slightly, his eyes wide. "Am I hurting you?" he asked.

Lissa shook her head, laughing breathlessly. "Hardly." This time, he closed the gap, pressing a kiss to her lips that was quick, if only because they heard a wolf whistle. They looked up to see Robin at the top of the wall, gazing down over them with a smug smile. Annoyed, Lissa sat up and glared at her. "Hey! This is private time down here!"

Gaius's head quickly joined hers and he gave a quick wave. His hair seemed a little too messy, and he also seemed a bit too close to Robin. "Excuse you, this was ours too."

Lissa glanced sidelong at Lon'qu, whose face was burning. It seemed like he could hardly look up at his fellow shepherds. "Look at you guys. You scared Lon'qu. Do you feel good about yourselves now?"

"Okay, sheesh, we'll move. You kids behave now...or else." Robin winked at Lissa and disappeared back over the edge of the wall.

Lissa, feeling a bit pink in the face herself, turned back to Lon'qu. He was once again rigid, his eyes having lost their softness. With a sigh, Lissa scooted closer to him and rested her head on his shoulder again. "Hey. It's alright. They're leaving."

"Robin is younger than me. Why would she call me kid?" Lon'qu muttered to herself, earning a snort of laughter from Lissa.

She gazed out over the trees and the distant hills. From this side of the castle, it seemed like Ylisse was a verdant Eden. _Maybe there is peace here, after all._ Lissa smiled a little and took his hand in hers. He lifted their joined hands and kissed the back of hers. She closed her eyes to the sunset-tinted scenery and laid her head against Lon'qu's shoulder again. In spite of everything that had happened, she had Lon'qu with her. Whatever the future would hold for her, she had him at her side, and she knew, wherever life took them, that they had each other's backs.

For the first time in what felt like a long time, Lissa felt perfectly at ease.

* * *

 _Hello, it is I, Mars, giving you this 8K+ word update because IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE I UPDATED. I've kind of been in and out of the hospital a bit and prepping to go to college, so yeah. The speed was a bit lacking. And guess what? This is the last chapter. There will be an epilogue for sure and potentially something concerning Owain's paralogue...but FOR NOW I GIVE YOU THIS MONSTER OF AN UPDATE._

 _I've rewritten this update four times and done major revisions twice. Keeping this final update in character has been A REAL STRUGGLE and I hope I did well!_

 _I was kind of emotional writing a lot of this. This sounds super corny, but this pairing gives me a lot of feelings. If you notice anything grammatically off, it's because THE FEELS WERE A BIT TOO REAL MAN._

 _So...yes. This isn't my last author's note here, but it also is in a way on this fic? I have an epilogue coming up soon, but I also have a lot to say in this note._

 _I'd really like to thank you all for sticking with me. I know there was a long intermission on my updating (three/four months or so), and I know there's been a bit of drama, but I've also really enjoyed writing this fic. I've learned a lot about writing for this fandom and interpreting characters, as Fire Emblem is way more cut and dried than, say, Pokemon, which I usually write for. It's harder to be loosy-goosy with character interpretations like I usually aim for? I digress._

 _So here are a few personal thank yous:_

 _A big thanks to Stella for getting me into this pairing in the first place, and for being an awesome supportive friend throughout this process._

 _A big thanks to Kari. You came into the game late but your support and friendship has been really awesome as I work through this fic and start planning out later works._

 _A big thanks to Erin, although I KNOW FOR A FACT you don't read this bc this isn't your fandom, but you've been super helpful especially on these updates where I rewrite them five or six times and in making outlines._

 _Also, a big thanks to Drags. You know what you did._

 _Alright, so while I'm at it, I'm going to thank all my readers again. You guys have been superb and really fun to write for!_

 _Things that you all should keep an eye out for the in future: a Lonlissa Yakuza AU, a modern one for this pairing as well, a Shura/Corrin one shot, and potentially more fics for Pokemon. Don't expect anything RADICALLY soon after I post the epilogue for this fic, as I start back to college, but I've got THEM IDEAS GUYS._

 _Until the epilogue, take care. Remember to drink lots of water and to change your oil every 3,000 miles or every three months._

 _Sincerely,_

 _Mars_


End file.
